Honor and Humanity
by Literal Metaphor
Summary: AU! Natsuki can’t stop thinking about her deadly boss’s wife. Nao can’t believe Natsuki is thinking that. Shizuru can’t believe how lucky she is. Takumi can’t come back to Fuuka, and all because Mai can’t take it anymore. ShizNat and MORE
1. One

_This isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. But I love it, so give it a chance. _

**Warnings: Rated M for illicit drug use, persistent violence, constant obscenities and general "adult" situations. I will not put an age restriction on this fic, but if you are easily suggestible, hit the back button. Mai HiME characters belong to Sunrise Inc. Errthang else is mine.**

_Helpful terms:  
_**-kai/-gumi **– Yakuza family titles  
**Pachinko** – pinball/slot machines  
**Kumicho/Oyabun** – head of the family; the Boss  
**Saiko** – A Boss's senior advisor  
**Kobun** – "foster child" or "younger sibling" in the yakuza world  
**Shinai** – wooden kendo sword  
**Fudo Myoo** – A Boddhisattva; "The Immovable One", as in unmoved by carnal temptations  
**Shabu** – crystal meth

_Enjoy and please review!  
_

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**_If you want to hang out, you've got to take her out_**

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Neon lights buzzed above Natsuki Kuga's head as she stepped out of the Rorschach Bar. The late morning sunlight momentarily stunned her, eyes having not yet adjusted from the Rorschach's dim lighting. She checked her watch; it was 10:30 and the pachinko machines that crowded the bar's basement were already nearly full. She looked across the street, starting for the black Peugeot 307 and the redhead waiting in the driver's seat.

"That took forever," Nao Yuuki remarked as Natsuki slid into the sports car's passenger seat. "Where are we off to, then?"

"The racetrack. They wanted to meet on their turf, or not at all."

The redhead snorted derisively as she put the car into drive, "Wonderful. We have at least twenty motherfuckers over there waiting for us."

Natsuki loosened her neatly knotted tie, "Don't worry about it. They'd be fucking stupid to start something right now. Tate is down there already, and Kumicho sent his little pet after them."

Nao grinned, "Minagi, huh? Good. So, what else?"

"Just make the rounds and…" The raven-haired woman trailed off, loosening her tie some more.

"And what?" Nao threw her a quick glance.

"It doesn't concern you. He just wants me to do something for him."

"What?"

"I just said, it doesn't concern you."

"Fucking tell me Kuga! What, does he want you to jerk him off or something? What?" Nao chuckled as her partner grimaced and sucked her teeth disgustedly. "Tell me!"

Natsuki sighed, already exasperated with the younger woman. "He wants me to take his wife out."

There was a beat of silence, before Nao erupted in laughter. "What? Didn't he just marry this chick? And more importantly, doesn't he know you're the biggest dyke in the world?"

"Shut up," Natsuki growled automatically, "And no, he doesn't know that. Apparently, he keeps her indoors all day and she's been bugging him to go out, but he doesn't trust her enough to let her out on her own."

Nao laughed some more, even as she narrowly steered the Peugeot past a convoy of cyclists. "So he trusts _you_? Kumicho can be a real dumb ass sometimes."

"Watch your mouth." Natsuki said in a gruff warning tone that made the smile fall off Nao's face.

Relieved to see the racetrack appear in the distance, Nao drove around to a back alley entrance meant for jockeys and owners. "God, it smells like horse shit," she grumbled, following Natsuki past the stables and onto the track where a group of four waited for them.

"Good to see you Natsuki-chan," a short, sharply dressed pale man greeted her in his overly cheerful voice, "You look as cute as usual."

"Shut up."

He smiled, disregarding her scowl, "I'm glad Kanzaki had the decency to send a saiko this time. I hope you're a better negotiator than your predecessor."

Natsuki glared into him, as Nao's eyes shifted over the grandstands and expanse of the racetrack. Tate was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is he, Nagi?"

The man grinned at Natsuki and nodded to his underlings, "Let her see him."

Natsuki and Nao turned to follow the sound of a motor starting, the sound of the lure cart that ran around the track for greyhounds to chase. Except now they saw, as their eyes widened in horror, the head of Yuuichi Tate placed on the cart. A bell rang somewhere and Nao closed her eyes tightly, blocking out the sight of her associate's battered blonde head whizzing around the racecourse.

"For fuck's sake…" Natsuki grimaced, turning away quickly to reach under her suit jacket for the two .44 Magnum revolvers tucked into her waistband.

Sooner than Nao could follow her lead and slip out her butterfly knives, submachine guns were already leveled at both of them. "Shit," she exhaled remorselessly as she looked down the barrel of an Uzi, eyes briefly flicking to Natsuki.

The raven-haired woman hadn't broken a sweat yet, her revolvers still pointed. Her emerald gaze shifted constantly, looking for an escape.

Nagi grinned smugly, "You could have had a good life Natsuki-chan, if you had joined the Sugiura-gumi like I told you to. You and your hot little kobun."

Nao spat at him. "Limp dick piece of—", her words died on her lips, catching sight of a red dot floating on his forehead.

"Nao," Natsuki warned, hoping the younger woman wouldn't give anything away. Holding her breath, she saw Nagi look at them curiously until he abruptly crumpled to the floor, a bullet imperceptibly lodging between his eyes.

Taking advantage of the astonished stupor his three Uzi-wielding subordinates suddenly fell into, Natsuki pumped a cartridge worth of bullets into the two closest to her. She intended the next round for the remaining minion, but seeing that Nao had stuck him with one knife and cut his throat with the other, just sighed and stuffed her guns back into her waistband.

Nao wiped her knives on the dying man's suit, folded them up and returned them to the rubber bands that held them in her sleeves. She licked her dry lips. "Minagi," she breathed.

Natsuki nodded, leading the way out of the racetrack. They were not surprised to find a short girl in a high school uniform waiting for them, a long duffel bag slung over her shoulder, which they knew contained a sniper rifle.

"Mikoto-chan," Natsuki smiled gratefully at the girl, patting her on the head. "You saved our asses."

"Yup!" The girl returned Natsuki's smile, "I was in the skybox. Ani-ue told me not to shoot until you showed up. I watched them saw off Tate's head." She told them with the same cheerful smile on her face.

They stared at her for a while, mildly disturbed.

Natsuki shook her head as they all settled in the Peugeot. "He didn't want you to shoot until we showed up? Even when Tate was about to get his head chopped off?"

Mikoto shook her head, "Ani-ue said he deserved whatever was coming to him."

"He wanted blondie gone," Nao realized, lighting up a cigarette. "I wonder what he did."

"The chef," Natsuki said after a beat of silence. "I should've known. He was getting too close to the chef."

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If you want to get down, get down on the ground

* * *

Mai Tokiha sat in what was quite possibly the most terrifying room in all of Fuuka. She sat rigidly at a long low table, keeping her hands under the table so no one would notice them trembling. Only two other people were in the room though, and both seemed too preoccupied to notice. 

Kanzaki Reito sat across from her, turned away politely as he spoke quietly on an executive cell phone. Although he didn't whisper, his words were still inaudible to Mai despite the small space between them and the general quiet of the large room.

The only other person was a honey-haired woman Mai had never seen. She had been ceremonially preparing tea since Mai had arrived, a placid smile on her face. "Th-thanks," She said when the woman handed her a steaming mug.

Reito flipped his phone closed when his cup was placed in front of him. "Sweetheart," he said pleasantly, "Mai-san and I will be discussing business."

Mai's eyebrows furrowed together, seeing the woman rise and leave the room without a word or acknowledgment to the speaker. Likewise, Reito forgot that she had been there. He rested his chin in his hand and blew air into his mug. "Thank you for wearing that."

Mai looked down at the red silk dress hugging her curves. She laughed sheepishly, "Thank _you_ for giving it to me. I really have to insist that you stop with the gifts now though. Wasn't that woman your—"

"It's my pleasure, Mai-san. She has nothing to do with it."

She wanted to squirm as his eyes traveled over her, even as she felt her face become warmer. "Sure, I guess. Well, thank you again Kumicho."

He nodded, blowing into his cup again. "So what is it you wanted to speak about?"

"Right," Mai looked at her trembling hands, suddenly feeling her courage leave her. She peeked up at Reito, who was smiling at her fondly. Her face became warm again, despite the icy feeling in her stomach. "Well… Takumi's operation was successful. The doctors say he should be good as new in a few months, except for maybe some minor complications. He could come back to Japan in as soon as three weeks."

Reito watched the woman's face glow as she related the news. He found it hard to stop smiling whenever they spoke, which is why he usually chose to deal with her personally. "That's good news. We should prepare to welcome him back in that time, then?"

"Yes, well, the thing is Kumicho," Mai inhaled deeply, "Takumi doesn't know how we got the money for his operation. He still thinks we received the good graces of some spirit, or something. He doesn't know what I'm doing."

"And?"

Mai swallowed, not daring to look at him. His voice had lost its characteristically sweet tone; he knew where she was taking this. "Kumicho, I can't… I can't do this anymore. I can't be your chef anymore. Takumi would never forgive me if he found out that I was making drugs in the restaurant's basement!"

Sensing sudden movement, she flinched, but Reito had only risen to move to a large sliding door. He opened it to reveal an immaculate traditional garden. The color drained from her face as she saw him pick up a shinai that was leant against the wall.

"From what I remember," he said as he tapped the sword against his shoulder, "You are still quite indebted to us."

"I know! I realize that Kumicho!" Her voice suddenly rose in volume, beginning to panic, "I don't intend to ask you to stop taxing the restaurant, I just can't have the lab in the basement when Takumi comes back. And besides that… I never wanted to make drugs in the first place. Please, Kumicho, Yuuichi told me you would listen."

She saw a dark smile creep onto his lips before he turned his back to her, hefting the shinai in his hands. "Tate isn't as smart as he seems, Mai-san."

Thoroughly confused by the non-sequitor, she decided to ignore it. "Kumicho, please."

Mai stared helplessly at him as he stepped out into the garden, and before sliding the door closed on her, said, "No."

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If your thing is gone and you want to ride on

* * *

"You're being a big baby," Aoi Senou slapped Nao's partially exposed rear as she lay topless on the brunette's bed. 

The redhead growled at the woman kneeling over her, eyes ablaze. "_That_ doesn't help Aoi! Just get on with it before I pass out again."

"I could do it much faster if you were passed out…" Aoi mumbled, reapplying a freshly inked needle to the sensitive skin of Nao's back, where she had already punctured the outline of a tattoo that would cover the entire area.

"Well, they all can't have Kuga's threshold for pain," Chie Harada commented as she strolled into the room with Natsuki.

"We all can't be freaks like Kuga either—ouch! God damn it!"

Natsuki only smirked at Nao's squirming and muttered curses. She looked over the outline of a Buddha Aoi had inked, this time laughing audibly. "Fudo Myoo, eh Nao? Trying to be ironic?"

"There's nothing—shit—ironic about it. I—what the fuck Aoi—am immovable—damn it!"

The other three openly laughed at this.

Chie wiped a mirthful tear away under her glasses before turning to Natsuki. "Oh Kuga, I have something for you."

Everyone in the room knew exactly what she meant, and so Natsuki only nodded and followed her into the kitchen. She took a seat at the table while Chie reached into the back of a cupboard and pulled out a lockbox. Unlocking it with a key kept around her neck, she retrieved from the box what Natsuki sight measured to be about a half kilo of rocky white powder.

"So I heard Kumicho gave you a special assignment," Chie said teasingly, as she found some smaller sized plastic bags.

"Of course _you_ would know."

"Of course. Colombian blow should keep you on your toes. You can't go fucking with the Kumicho's bride, y'know."

"I'm not an idiot." She ignored Chie's dubious look, much more interested in her actions.

Common courtesy kept her from ripping the bag open and sticking her nose in it when Chie placed it on the table, waiting for her to set out a metallic glass platter. The bespectacled dealer chuckled, noticing Natsuki lick her lips in anticipation while she chopped up a decent sized rock, then cut it into finer lines. "First taste is on me," Chie said, handing her a rolled up bill.

Natsuki's luxurious midnight hair hung on the back of the kitchen chair as she threw her head back. "Yeah," she finally said, between sharp inhales. "That'll do it." She reached into her pocket and fished out a few bills, dropping them onto the table. "Maybe Kumicho's wife will want some too?"

Chie wasn't sure if she was kidding or not. "Careful, Kuga. You saw what happened to poor Tate. And Kumicho never even admitted he likes that chef."

"'Course he does."

"Yeah, and I'm sure he likes his newlywed wife too. Careful," she repeated warily.

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She don't lie, she don't lie, she don't lie

* * *

Mikoto sat at her regular seat at the Tokiha's restaurant, the only one at the counter at the relatively late hour, chopsticks poised and ready to devour a third bowl of ramen. "Maaaaiiiii," She called out to the woman she knew was hiding in the kitchen, "One more!" 

"Akane," she said tiredly to the girl just coming up from the basement, "Can you give her that bowl please? I'm gonna lose it if I face another Kanzaki today."

"Shhhh!" The girl shushed Mai, fear flashing in her doe eyes. "If she hears you we're in for it!"

Mai chuckled scornfully, "That skinny little thing? Although she eats ravenously…"

Akane shook her head pityingly at her boss, "Mai-san… And they say _I'm_ naïve. Anyway, I have chemicals all over me, I can't touch any food. I'm going to go home and shower before Kazuya comes over. You can give her that." The girl hastily pointed to a red tool box, which Mai knew contained at least 50 bricks packed with shabu, and nearly sprinted out of the building.

Mai gritted her teeth as Mikoto let loose another hungry cry for her attention. Giving the tool box an irritated kick, she grabbed the bowl of ramen and dropped it with a scowl in front of the high school girl. "Are you happy now you little freak?"

Mikoto disregarded her, only slurping down half the bowl in one gulp. "Delicious!" She beamed with flushed cheeks that served to soften Mai's expression.

"I bet you're not paying for this bowl either?" She asked dejectedly, watching the girl stuff herself.

"Nope!" She replied between slurps.

Mai nodded absently, the frown returning to her face. She took in the Fuuka Academy uniform that the girl wore regularly; it was the uniform she used to wear at one point, from where she had studied day in and day out to get into college, eventually graduating with a BA in business and a minor in chemistry.

"Why chemistry?" She whispered absently to herself, not for the first time. "I fucking hate chemistry."

"Hmm?"

She shook her head, hating to waste time on useless thoughts. "Say Mikoto-chan, do you ever go to school?"

The girl nodded slowly, suddenly guarded.

Mai laughed nervously, "It's just that I only see you running around for Kumicho. Don't you want to do anything else? You're so young."

"I like doing things for Ani-ue," she replied quickly, defensively. "And today I got to see Natsuki and Nao. They don't go to school."

Mai thought back to the number of times she had seen the saiko and what would seem to be her apprentice. "But they're hoodlums!"

The younger girl looked at her curiously. "They're nice."

Mai crossed her arms, realizing that Mikoto might be a lost cause. For whatever reason, though, the potentially dangerous girl seemed to get along with her. Perhaps if she was lucky, the girl could prove to be a helping hand. "Mikoto-chan? How do you get your Ani-ue to change his mind about something?"

"Ani-ue doesn't change his mind," she replied without hesitation.

"Not even if you asked him to, on my behalf?"

"Ani-ue doesn't like to be pushed around." Mikoto paused, eyes glazing over for a moment. "Tate knows that," she said quietly.

"Yuuichi?" Mai remembered the side-burned blonde had promised, as they grew increasingly closer, to help her out of her contract with the Kumicho. Panic suddenly rose in her as she recalled the Kumicho's disturbing smile, "What about Yuuichi?"

Mai felt her knees grow weak as Mikoto gave her a mournful look and hopped off her seat. She swung her duffel bag onto her shoulder as Mai stared into her, horror-struck. Mikoto's chest inexplicably pained to see the older woman in such a state, and wanted to do something, or at least say something to help her.

"I like Mai. She shouldn't end up like Tate." She turned away before she could see teardrops leave Mai's eyes, "Don't fight the Kanzaki-kai."

* * *

_**Chapter 2: Midori Sugiura on the rampage! Suzushiro and Kikukawa on the case! Meet Mrs. Kanzaki-- Ara, I mean Fujino-Kanzaki!**_

_Visit my profile page for full notes. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!_


	2. Two

_Seriously, like seriously, I can't believe the positive response I've gotten on this story. I was really afraid that it would tank, but thanks to your reviews, alerts and favorites I was inspired to crank out this chapter._

**Warnings: Language! Violence! Drugs! **

_Helpful terms:  
_**-kai/-gumi **– Yakuza family titles  
**Kumicho/Oyabun** – head of a family  
**Saiko** – A Boss's senior advisor  
**missing fingers **– disobedient kobuns get the tips of their fingers chopped off  
**Kobun** – "foster child" or "younger sibling" in the yakuza world  
**oyabun** – mentor/older sibling to a kobun

_Enjoy and please review!_

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_**You could do anything**_

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Every last footman on the Kanzaki estate assembled with their pistols cocked, scurrying to cover ground as Midori Sugiura effortlessly made her way through the courtyard, stomping to the mansion in her kimono. The Oyabun knew that every single barrel pointed at her was too pussy to pull the trigger, fearing the wrath of the rapidly-growing Sugiura-gumi.

She and her posse of five Uzi-toting escorts stopped in front of the main entrance of the mansion, hindered by a blade-brandishing Nao leaning in the doorway.

"Reito!" Midori barked, not even casting the young woman a glance.

"The Kumicho's not in," Nao said uninterestedly, using the serrated knife's tip to clean her fingernails. Midori barely paid attention to her, trying to move past her and into the building, but Nao fiercely kept her ground. "What, are you retarded? I _said_ the Kumicho's not in."

Finally, the Oyabun granted her acknowledgment, by looking at her as if she had said something completely ludicrous. She turned to her nearest guard, posing the question, "Who the fuck is this?" The pink-haired guard hefted her Uzi to the other shoulder, giggling. Midori screamed animatedly up at the mansion, "Reito! Why don't you take your balls off your whore wife's chin for two seconds and come down here and talk to me like a man! Don't you keep me out here talking to some baby prostitute with a fucking G.I. Joe knife!"

"You're done," Nao stated with all conviction, lunging for her before a strong arm caught her round the waist. "Kuga?! Get off of me!"

Natsuki managed to speedily send her into the opposite wall with a shove before Midori's guards could open fire, then pinned her with a glare that meant for her to say no more. "This is why you'll never be a saiko. You can't stab everyone who comes to the door Nao!" She rebuked in a harsh whisper, while Chie addressed the visiting Oyabun courteously and showed her upstairs to the Kumicho's office.

"You son of a whore!" Midori laid into him immediately. Although all the firearms from both sides were placed on the floor in the middle of the room, no one felt any less uneasy, especially with Sugiura banging on the desk while the Kumicho quietly bore her shrill screaming with a smile. "You practically handed over that blonde sack of shit, but then go and take out one of my saikos? That is not how a truce works, Kanzaki! And _what_ the fuck are you smiling about?" She turned to her pink-haired guard, "What is he smiling about?"

The guard shrugged, forlornly eyeing her gun lying on the carpet.

"Midori-chan, it's alright."

"Don't call me that, you cocksucker. What's alright?"

He leaned back in his chair, pressing his fingertips together. "Think of it as a personnel change. That saiko had his eye out for his own ends; he had a few fingers missing, ne?"

Midori nodded, but eyed him closely.

"And so I believe that blonde boy did also. If you think about it, we did each other a service."

The Sugiura-gumi's Oyabun leaned back in her own chair, her features softening almost into a smile. "You're full of shit, Reito. As always." She rose, signaling to her posse to retrieve their arms. "We'll call it even this time. If it happens again, I'm handing your ass to you."

The Kumicho sighed as they left his estate, Natsuki watching them go from the office's bay windows. "That was a pretty strange way to get rid of Tate," she commented, recalling the blonde head winding around the race track.

Reito rose from his seat and stretched, casting her a brief glance. "Perhaps, but now I don't have to think about it."

Natsuki nodded, knowing he meant that she should never speak of it in his presence again.

"Ah Natsuki, don't forget about taking my bride out tonight. I'll be away for the weekend, and if she doesn't get out of the house she'll continue ignoring me," He laughed sheepishly and smacked the back of his head, a gesture that she found strange for a man who just proved himself to be ruthlessly dangerous. "Her name's Shizuru, by the way. Show her a good time."

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If you wouldn't mind I would like to blew

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"I really don't know where to take this woman."

Natsuki wondered if she had said that to herself when she got no reply; the person she spoke to had definitely heard her but was making it a point not to listen. "Oi, Nao," she tried again, "Aren't you going to help me out here?"

The redhead indignantly continued to flip through channels, strewn across Natsuki's leather couch. The saiko thought for a moment that the younger woman could at least have the sense to not hang around her apartment if she was upset with her, but then again Nao had nowhere else to go if she wanted to hide. All her stuff was piled in Natsuki's attic anyway; she only went home to her estranged mother's house to gather more crap to fill the attic with.

Tired of being ignored, Natsuki crossed the room rather quickly and snatched the remote away from the redhead. Nao immediately shot her a perilous look, which soon subsided into annoyance when it met Natsuki's severe expression.

"I was talking to you."

"Go fuck yourself," she replied automatically, crossing her arms resentfully.

Natsuki sighed, shaking her head. "If you were someone else's kobun, you wouldn't have any fingers left. In fact, you'd probably be in the ground by now."

Nao scoffed, "Well thank you Mother Kuga, for taking me in. I'm eternally indebted to your infinite compassion."

"Don't be a smart ass," Natsuki threatened, although she bit back a smirk. "You almost got yourself killed, going after Sugiura with all her bodyguards right there. You're too reckless. And it would be my ass on the line if you did manage to get at her."

Nao rolled her eyes, her skin crawling to have to sit through another one of Kuga's lectures. The saiko had been her oyabun for a long time, but Nao could never get any more comfortable with being harangued. "Whatever, you're Kumicho's golden girl, and you know it. That's why he has you playing escort for his ugly wife."

Natsuki suddenly look apprehensive, "Is she ugly?"

Nao had never seen the woman, but nodded anyway.

"Well whatever, she's Kumicho's wife, and I have to 'show her a good time.'" She flopped down on the couch next to Nao and pinched the bridge of her nose. "This is such a pain."

Nao's irritation was forgotten and she let herself sympathize with the older woman. "Well I'm going out with Chie and Aoi tonight. You can meet us at the club so we can get her wasted, then leave her ass and find some real action."

Natsuki stared at her. "You really don't have any respect for authority. Maybe I _should_ start chopping your off fingers."

Nao shrugged, taking the remote back and returning her attention to the television.

After a quick purchase from Chie, Natsuki made her way back to the Kanzaki estate. With the Kumicho out of town most of the security staff was let off, and so the usual busy mansion seemed sparse of activity. Although the lone night watchman let her in, Natsuki paused at the entrance to ring the doorbell, unsure of where in the house the new bride might be.

Milling around in the lavish living room, and feeling rather jittery, she decided to take advantage of the Kumicho's stocked bar. In the mood for something simple and strong, she decided on cranberry and vodka. She muttered a curse as she over poured the clear liquid, and then laughed a bit, recalling that Nao would probably call her a "pussy" for doing so.

"Could you perhaps make me one of those?" An airy voice sounded from behind her.

Natsuki hadn't even noticed anyone enter the room. Surprised, she reached one hand under her jacket, grasping one of the two Glocks she kept stuffed into the back of her waistband. She turned to face the intruder, but instead of presenting the icy scowl doled out to most people she planned to shoot, she blanked.

_God in heaven, I hope she's not Kumicho's bride._

"Ara, I only wanted a drink," The lady poised at the staircase's landing seemed to be giggling, though she hid her smile behind a hand.

Sheepishly, Natsuki released the grip on her weapon. She held the drink out in an offering. "You can have this one."

Natsuki watched the motion of her hips move as she approached her in a black silk Chinese-style dress that cut off at the knee. It had been a while since Natsuki had worn a dress like that, but had never seen one _cling_ so delightfully to the wearer.

"You're very generous…"

"Natsuki."

"Natsuki," she repeated, taking the drink and holding it to her lips. She held it there, smiling for a few moments before taking a sip. "A bit weak," she commented, catching the saiko's eyes, "But I suppose we have all night for stronger drinks, ne?"

Natsuki had been watching her lips move, eyes half-lidded as she inhaled her fascinating scent, afforded by the lady's close proximity. "Yes," she replied, taking a step away and clearing her throat, "Shizuru-sama."

Her hands loosened the knot on her tie, knowing that the fun was over. It had to be over.

"Shizuru will do."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, suddenly regarding Natsuki closely. "Reito promised me a fun evening out, and If Natsuki wishes to be so formal, then I will have to choose to stay in."

"There's no need for that, Shizuru," Natsuki tried to keep the anxiety out of her voice. "I also promised Kumicho I'd show you a good time."

A pleased smile crossed Shizuru's face. "Natsuki is so obedient," She drained the rest of her drink, as the saiko tried to read the tone of her lilting voice, hoping that the Kumicho's wife wasn't actually teasing her.

"Shall we?" She asked, slipping a hand under Natsuki's elbow.

Natsuki only nodded, unable to do much else.

_**

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If you wouldn't mind I would like to lose

* * *

Mai considered chopping her hands off. She would have to do it herself, she doubt anyone she knew would let her amputate herself. Maybe she could saw the left one off, and have Akane saw off the right one. Eating would be difficult after that, but she didn't care much for food lately anyway. Perhaps she would only need to hack off her fingers to get her hands to stop trembling. Even after she digested the idea of Yuuichi Tate's death, for which she was to some degree responsible, she could not still her shaky hands.

The Fuuka Police Chief observed her from across the large desk, watching her bring a cup of coffee to her lips and take several seconds to calm herself enough to take a sip without spilling. "Thank you for filing your report Tokiha-san, but I'm not sure how much we can do about this right now."

Mai stared back at the chief. Chief Mashiro Kazehana seemed mature enough, yet too young to be head of a police department. Perhaps she had risen through the ranks quickly, given that police officers in Fuuka were dropping like flies over the past few years. "What do you mean? I gave you all the names and addresses… Tate's body hasn't been found, but he's been reported missing… All the proof is right there!" Mai pointed at the lengthy report the chief had transcribed of her account.

"When dealing with these types of criminals, one deposition is not enough for an arrest. An investigation must be made. You should know, if I launch an investigation," The chief paused to pick up the file and flip through it, "there is no doubt you yourself will be indicted on drug charges. This document could serve as a written confession, a jury would convict you in a matter of moments, and you would receive a minimum of ten years." She looked up to see a stunned expression on Mai's face.

The redhead shook her head, incredulous. "So you're telling me, despite all the information I just gave you, the only thing that my report is going to lead to is my _own_ arrest? You're joking!"

The chief said nothing.

Mai sprung from her seat, hands balling into fists. "This is so fucked up! I'm… I'm going to let the Daily know about this!"

"Please refrain from losing your temper, Tokiha-san." The chief tried, but Mai had already slammed the door behind her.

She meditated for a while on Mai Tokiha's earnest eyes and trembling hands, finally heaving a sigh. There were very few options she was left with in the matter, and the woman's threat could not be ignored. However, she wasn't about to put herself out there and end up like this Tate person, or like the last duplicitous Police Chief. After thumbing through some more files she called in two names to her office.

Her door swung open not ten seconds after. Two uniformed officers entered, one stomping into the room while her partner quietly followed behind. "You called for us Chief?" The spirited blonde asked right away.

"Yes," she motioned for them to be seated, "When I met you two they told me you were the most promising cadets in your class. I'm not surprised you've made it to detective so quickly."

While the blonde grinned, the meeker brunette spoke up, "Thank you for the compliment Chief, but there were only fifteen other cadets in our class. And we haven't yet been promoted."

Kazehana nodded, "I know. I'm promoting you now."

The two officers blanked for a moment before cheerfully high-fiving. "Thank you Chief, you won't regret it! Yukino and I will be the best detectives Fuuka's ever seen!"

The Chief was careful to not let the humor she found in that statement show. "I should hope so. Your first assignment is in no way an easy one." She picked up Mai's file and tossed it towards the bespectacled brunette; she had always been skilled with intelligence after all. "Detectives Suzushiro and Kikukawa, prepare yourselves. From now on, your lives will be in constant danger."

_**

* * *

**_

If you wouldn't mind I would like to breathe

* * *

_Can't fuck Kumicho's wife, can't fuck Kumicho's wife, can't fuck Kumicho's wife…_

Natsuki's heart rate was slowing, and she didn't like it. Looking at her homicidal boss's gorgeous wife stare directly back at her from across the restaurant table was turning it back up, and she didn't like that either.

"You're looking at me rather intensely Natsuki," the woman said, leaning back in her seat, pushing away her finished dinner plate.

"Excuse me," she muttered quietly and redirected her gaze to her own plate.

Shizuru leaned forward again, resting her chin in one hand. "I rather like it when you look at me like that." A smirk appeared on her face while Natsuki shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Reito often avoids eye contact with me. He's become such a bore after marriage."

"That's more than I really want to know, Shizuru."

"But I want to tell you. I trust Natsuki."

The saiko ventured another glance at the honey-haired lady. "You shouldn't."

Shizuru's smile grew. Her smile, a dangerously charming curve of plush pink lips, unsettled Natsuki. "I suppose you're right. Yet there's nothing wrong in trusting someone my husband has so much faith in. After all, he put me in your care."

"Only for tonight," Natsuki was keen to remind her.

"Ara," Shizuru sighed dramatically, throwing her head back and affording Natsuki a delicious view of her pale throat, "Yet Reito will be away all weekend, leaving me alone again. He'll return with the stench of disgusting women on him, again."

"You really need to stop confiding in me," Natsuki pleaded with her, her voice more gruff this time.

Shizuru cast a soft gaze, "So loyal you are, Natsuki. Won't you even offer me some pity?"

She wanted to give more than that, but she didn't get to the position of saiko by indulging herself. Earnestly she said, "That's _all_ that I can give you."

Shizuru bit her lip to keep herself from grinning. "Oh? What else did Natsuki have in mind?"

The lady was delighted to see what was quite possibly a blush, rise on the brusque saiko's cheeks. "Nothing," she replied, looking everywhere else but at Shizuru. "I'm sorry to hear that, but what could you have expected when you married Kumicho?"

"A free ticket out of Hawaii," the lady answered casually, stirring her drink.

Natsuki raised an eyebrow, certainly not expecting that.

"Ara, I've said too much again," Shizuru said with that disconcerting smile. "Perhaps Natsuki should take me home now."

"Gladly," She breathed, rising from her seat. She needed to get Shizuru home safely, escape with her wits intact to Chie's for some much needed bumps and return Nao's borrowed car.

"Natsuki is a very well-behaved date," Shizuru teased when the passenger door of the Peugeot was opened for her, out in the restaurant's parking lot.

Natsuki, happy for the night's end, granted her a smile. "Thank you, but this wasn't a date. If it was, I wouldn't have been so well behaved." She jumped when the lady put a hand on her jacket lapel, surprised at the jolt in the pit of her stomach.

"There's still time for that to change," Shizuru replied as she drew closer.

An odd sound escaped Natsuki as Shizuru's lips grazed hers, what she recognized to be a whimper. "I can't…" she whispered futilely, even as they pressed closer to each other.

Another car pulled into the parking lot, but Natsuki's swimming head could not register anything at this point besides Shizuru's fingertips snaking into her hair and against her scalp.

She could tell that a teasing question was poised on Shizuru's lips. When the lady opened her mouth to speak though, instead of words, Natsuki heard multiple shots ring out around her.

"What the fuck?" Her head swiveled around to find the source, as bullets punctured the Peugeot's glossy finish.

"There!" Shizuru pointed to a taxi, four gloved hands stuck out from the windows wielding pistols leveled directly at them.

Natsuki wasted no time reaching for her own firearms as another round of shots whizzed around them. Shizuru dove into the car, pulling Natsuki with her.

"God damn it!" She heard from the saiko, her chest compressing to see her clutching at her thigh, blood quickly soaking through her pants leg.

"They got you?" Shizuru gasped incredulously.

"DRIVE!" Natsuki commanded, ducking low with the car door still open and firing off from both of her revolvers. Shizuru righted herself into the driver's seat and slammed on the gas pedal, affording Natsuki no time to hold on as the car flew out of the parking lot and onto the street.

The Peugeot's speedometer ticked to 120 as Shizuru maneuvered the vehicle through traffic with surprising skill. The passenger side door still flapped open; once her revolvers had run out of bullets Natsuki had haphazardly dragged herself to the backseat. The taxi was no match in speed for the imported sports car, and Shizuru found herself on the open highway on Fuuka's outskirts, no other vehicles in sight. She pulled over on the shoulder to check on the injured woman.

Natsuki was thankfully still breathing, heavily. The only wound seemed to be the bullet in the side of her left thigh. Shizuru finally closed the passenger side door, then looked back to see the saiko topless, tying her white shirt around her thigh.

"We have to go to the hospital," Shizuru finally said when words came to her.

"No." Natsuki managed to say through clenched teeth, pain threatening to take her consciousness. She sat up and peered through the tinted windows, gathering what she could from their whereabouts. She fished into her back pocket for her cell phone, and then handed it to Shizuru. "Call Youko."

_**

* * *

**_

If you wouldn't care I would like to leave

* * *

Mai reeled again from the reek of ammonia emanating from her establishment's basement. She had come in late today, after fuming for a few hours over the Police Chief's behavior, only to check on Akane's claim that the stench was driving customers away.

"Well, what do you expect from a diner with a meth lab? Some crack with your ramen maybe?" She asked herself sarcastically. She was surprised every day that her restaurant took in customers in the first place, yet she was always careful to keep the Kanzakis' compulsory business completely away from her own. She had stopped storing food in the basement when the first propane cylinders and bulk stock of drain cleaner was delivered by Kanzaki-kai footmen.

The ammonia was starting to seep through the basement's ceiling and became a stronger presence in the diner everyday. Mai concluded that she had no choice but to close shop, as she was losing customers anyway. Perhaps then Reito Kanzaki would release his grip on her.

Defeated, she decided to lock up for the night, and probably for good.

The bell above the diner's entrance jingled, signaling the arrival of a customer. Mai emerged from the kitchen to find a regular seated at the counter, sniffing the noxious-smelling air uncertainly. "Sorry Sensei, I'm about to lock up."

"Just a cup of coffee Mai," the white-coated doctor replied, adding with a wrinkle of her nose, "Make it to go."

Mai shrugged and went to the coffee pot. The doctor's cell phone sounded through the empty restaurant and Mai could hear the panicked tones of the caller even a few feet away from her.

"Natsuki? Oh my god, bring her here, I'm at Mai's diner. I have all my stuff with me, it shouldn't be a problem. Keep her calm." The doctor hung up, turning to Mai with an apologetic smile. "Forgive me Mai, I'll have to use your restaurant as an operating room for a while."

The pot of coffee slipped in Mai's hand, but she was able to tighten her grip before it fell to the floor. "No, no, no, no way! I don't know what's going on, but if it has anything to with Kanzaki or that Natsuki woman, I don't want any part of it!"

The doctor fixed her with a skeptical stare. "Really, Mai? That chemical smell I'm being assaulted with would indicate that you're already a big part of what's going on. In any case, Natsuki needs help and whether I have your permission or not, she's coming here."

Mai continued to argue with the doctor, who soon grew tired of her and went behind the counter to pour her own cup of coffee. There was little time left to debate though, as a car was heard screeching to a halt in front of the building.

"You're joking!" Mai yelled futilely as a woman she recognized to be Kanzaki's wife entered the diner, supporting the hobbling, shirtless saiko.

"Good, you've tried to stop the bleeding. I hope it didn't go all the way through," Youko said as she helped Shizuru guide the injured woman to a table, where she was made to lie down. "Mai, do you have any liquor?" She asked the stunned owner as she retrieved her briefcase and pulled on a pair of disposable gloves.

Mai wavered, the people in her sight suddenly seeming very surreal. Natsuki's pained grunts and scream of "Chef! What the fuck are you standing around for?" kicked her back into real time.

"What kind?" She asked timidly.

"Anything!" The doctor yelled back, cutting away Natsuki's pants leg and gauzing the wound. "It looks like the bullet didn't get very far. I think I can get it out. Can you handle it Natsuki?"

"Just get the fucking thing out of me!" Natsuki gritted through clenched teeth as Shizuru held her hand tightly. "Wait!" She commanded as Mai handed the doctor a bottle of whiskey. She grabbed the bottle, unscrewed the cap quickly and proceeded to chug a quarter's worth of the brown liquid. She handed the bottle back to the doctor, who couldn't help but smirk.

"Okay, get ready Natsuki. If you could hold her down," She instructed Shizuru, who obliged by putting her arms around Natsuki and guiding her head to rest against her shoulder.

Mai winced herself as the doctor poured whiskey over her wound, then over her own utensils. More thrashing was expected of the saiko, but she only tremored violently a few times, gritted her teeth and dug her forehead into Shizuru's chest as the woman held her tightly, while the doctor retrieved the bullet with a pair of forceps. She eyed it keenly before dropping it into a paper cup, ".22. Thank God it wasn't anything larger."

"I'm going to kill those fucking Sugiura cunts," Natsuki spat. Mai watched Shizuru squeeze her tighter and press her lips to the top of her head.

"I thought there was a truce," the doctor commented as she prepared to suture the wound. "I'm going to stitch you up now. The worst is over, I suppose, but you'll have to come see me at the hospital tomorrow to make sure you don't get an infection." With what appeared to be a few flicks of her wrist, the doctor closed the wound and finished the suture, then taped many layers of gauze over it.

"All done," she said, removing her gloves and stuffing them into the paper cup. "I'm glad you were smart enough to stop the bleeding, Natsuki, or we would have definitely gone to the hospital this time. Next time though, we're going. I can't keep stitching you and your crew up like this and praying no one dies the next day from infection."

Natsuki looked at herself drearily through the pain, naked, save for a bra and lone pant leg. "I need to go home." Shizuru helped her off the table, letting her lean heavily against her. "Thanks Youko, again." She turned to Mai, who was trying to wrap her head around the proceedings that had just occurred. "Thank you too, Chef. I owe you."

As the doctor cleaned up the make-shift operating table, Mai watched Shizuru help Natsuki to the car, and secure her inside. She watched as Natsuki caught the honey-haired woman as she pulled away and held onto her in a tight hug, which she returned just as closely. Their lips brushed each other's only slightly, but the way in which Kanzaki's wife held the saiko's face and smiled at her made Mai believe that whether Natsuki Kuga owed her or not, she could easily be gotten to.

If the police couldn't help her, she was sure now that Kuga would have to.

* * *

_Um, yeah obviously, I don't know much about surgery/yakuza doctors. Full A/N on my profile page_

_**Chapter 3: Nao gets rowdy! Akane and Kazuya get shafted! Shizuru and Natsuki get it on, hopefully!**_


	3. Three

_Thank you once again for the fantabulous reviews, I live foryour kind words! Ahem. Anyway, enjoy the chapter! I'm sort of busy right now, so another quick update isn't so likely. _

**Warnings: Extreme violence and blood, adult language, adult drugs, and implied adult smex. **

_Enjoy! _

_**There's heavy metal coming from your truck**_

* * *

Detective Yukino Kikukawa kept a diligent eye on the road, steering the unmarked police cruiser through Fuuka's heavy late afternoon traffic. She was praised in the Academy for having a discerning eye, but often such admiration was followed by a light reminder that she didn't have to keep every thought to herself and it was okay to run off at the mouth once in a while. Okay for her, of course. Her partner was a different story. 

She stole brief glances at the blonde riding shotgun beside her, deciding now would be a good time to start running off at the mouth. "Haruka-chan," she started as the cruiser sat in traffic, "I know you're excited about the promotion, but…perhaps you could have chosen a more discreet outfit."

"What? This is professional apparatus—"

"Apparel."

"Apparel, Yukino." Haruka defended her choice of tan trench coat and matching deer slayer hat. She looked over Yukino's much more modest slacks and button-down shirt. Frowning she removed the hat and threw it in the backseat. "I wouldn't want to spoil it on a quadruple homicide anyway," she explained to her partner's amused smile.

Yukino pulled over in front of a building on a street already crowded with cruisers. "It's going to be gruesome," she reminded herself aloud, preparing herself to actually see what HQ had only briefed them on.

Haruka put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on Yukino, we're detectives now. Kazehana gave us this job for a reason."

She wanted to ask what reason that was, since the promotion had been decidedly out of the blue, but there was no more time to try and run off at the mouth; Haruka was already making her way into the apartment building.

She caught up to the blonde right as she was set to barge into the crime scene, a second-story apartment, tearing through yellow tape as she went.

"Detective, be careful!" A uniformed officer warned her just as she crossed the threshold, stepping into a pool of blood and slipping. Yukino opportunely appeared behind her to steady her flailing body as she lost balance.

"For God's sake," Haruka shouted, eyes finally open to the grisly scene. She felt Yukino let go of her and heard a retching sound from the shorter woman. "Hold it in."

Yukino nodded, covering her mouth with a handkerchief. She followed Haruka deeper into the living room, careful not to slip on the puddles of blood staining the hardwood floors. Drops of the red liquid drizzled intermittently from the ceiling, making Haruka wish she had taken the hat with her as a drop landed on her blond bangs.

She crouched down to examine what was left of the first body; on the floor, entrails pouring out of the seamless cut from groin to throat. "Gutted like a fish," she remarked to Yukino, whose hand trembled as she took notes.

The second and third bodies were nearby, mutilated in much the same manner, intestines spilling onto the floor. The face had been sliced horizontally on one, the jaw hanging off to reveal a severed tongue.

They moved warily to the apartment's bedroom, the location of the final body. Naked and sprawled out on the bed, he had been gutted too, and the detectives could see his hands as well as his testicles had been chopped off. The severed hands were nearby, but as they looked about the blood spattered room, the testicles were not found.

"I wonder what this poor fuck did to deserve that," a male officer commented, grimacing.

Haruka frowned, "Watch your mouth. Did you find any weapons?"

The officer rolled his eyes at her, before thumbing through his notebook. "None. No sign of breaking and entering either, so it was probably someone they let in. Seems to me like a prostitute or something."

Yukino looked around the room, the fat wallet on the nightstand indicating to her that robbery was not a motive. "I don't think so." She took a deep breath before venturing closer to the corpse on the bed, squinting over her glasses. "This neck damage… He may have been strangled first."

"If he died of strangulation, then what was the point of chopping his balls off?" The officer asked, quite innocently.

Haruka flashed an annoyed look on him. "Can you possibly say something without being so obscene? You're at work!" She reminded him, as Yukino lifted a part of the corpse's shoulder with her pencil.

"Tattoos," she stated as if answering an unasked question, "This was probably Yakuza related."

"We found firearms on the kitchen table," another officer supplied, "The killer had to be pretty charming to get them to disarm."

"And really good with a blade," Haruka added, "This guy was probably first, the other three quickly afterwards." She looked to Yukino, "Remember a few years ago there was something like ten cases like this."

Yukino nodded, "Right. All men murdered similarly and found without…"

"Scrotums?" The male officer suggested, smiling cheekily at Haruka.

"Uh yes," Yukino continued, "But these specific killings tapered off around two years ago. Could it be the same person?"

There was little time to think on it as another officer rushed into the room, "Detective, I just got off the phone with HQ. The description of one of the victims matches that of a driver of a taxi that was reported as speeding and driving recklessly last night. According to a traffic officer on duty last night, a black sports car, also well over the speed limit, was being followed by the taxi. The traffic officer was only able to pull over the taxi. He reported nothing suspicious, other than the driving. The license plate number, driver's license and vehicle registration all match the victim. The taxi was found parked around the corner, with six bullet holes in the front bumper and side panels," The officer finished reading off the points listed on his notepad with a huff.

"What are we doing about finding the black car?" Haruka asked.

"Um, nothing ma'am."

She stepped over to him, inches from his face. "Why not?"

"W-we can't possibly pull over every black sports car in the city—"

"We can do whatever we want," she cut him off, watching him wince at the shrill volume of voice she was able to use without actually shouting. "Four people were killed and their murderer is still out there. Is that okay with you?!"

"No ma'am," he squeaked.

Satisfied, she moved past him and took off out of the room. "Then find that car! Come on Yukino!"

Detective Kikukawa followed her out, hoping her juniors didn't notice the amused smile on her face.

* * *

_**A broken record runnin' low on luck **_

* * *

The lines of blue powder didn't provide the feeling Natsuki was used to, but dulled the pain in her thigh nonetheless. Youko had advised against Natsuki's preferred method of pill consumption when she gave her the pain medication that morning, after checking and redressing the wound. 

"Your nose hairs will burn off, if you have any left," she had said. Natsuki crushed up a pill right in front of her.

Kumicho had been contacted, and after asking about the safety of his wife, gave Natsuki the day off to rest. She had sat in her bed receiving phone calls most of the day, one of them from Shizuru. She told her she had been sleeping and hung up rather quickly.

She tried not to feel bad about it; after all it was Shizuru's distraction that caused her to not notice the suspicious taxi in the first place. Had she been more alert, those motherfuckers would've been finished right then and there.

The strong smell of burning weed infiltrated the creases of her door and hit her nostrils, indicating Nao's presence in the house. The younger girl had been in and out of the house since Natsuki came home shot and leaning on the Kumicho's wife, sketchy and terse with her explanations.

"Oi Nao," she called out, only waiting a few seconds before the redhead entered her room.

Natsuki eyed her curiously as she wavered in the doorway, puffing on a tightly rolled joint. She handed it to Natsuki slowly and asked, "How do you feel?"

She motioned to the bottle of painkillers Youko had given her, "Better now. Where've you been all day?"

"Here and there," she leaned against the doorframe as Natsuki reclined in bed, resting her head on one folded arm. "I had to junk my car."

Natsuki sat up immediately, choking on smoke. After a fit of coughing she looked to the younger girl incredulously, "What? There were only a few holes in it, you could've gotten it patched up!" She was bewildered by Nao's shrug, more so by her lack of anger, or any discernible emotion. "You loved that car. I… Sorry."

She took the joint back, letting Natsuki's sentence linger while she smoked. "I talked to Kumicho."

Natsuki lay back again, not knowing what do with the change of topic. She looked at the girl critically for a few seconds while she disregarded her. "You did?"

She nodded. "He called me. I was surprised as you are," she addressed Natsuki's expression, "He told me to tell you not to worry about the guys that ran up on you. They were Sugiura's people, close to Nagi. It's been taken care of."

There were many questions Natsuki needed to ask about that statement. "Who took care of it? I wanted to get those assholes myself," she asserted, sitting up again.

Nao released a chimney of smoke slowly from her mouth, clouding her face. It seemed that she wasn't interested in answering Natsuki's questions at the moment. "Did you fuck her?"

Natsuki squinted at her, wondering just what the hell was wrong with her today. "Who?" She asked, scowling.

"You know who."

A low sound vibrated in Natsuki's throat as she glared at Nao. The younger girl crossed her arms and squared up to the saiko defiantly.

"You better watch what you say to me," Natsuki told her menacingly, rising out of bed. Nao watched her try to walk as normally as possible without limping as she grabbed her jacket and a handgun from the nightstand, storming as fast as her injury would allow her out of the house.

* * *

_**I wanna leave but I just get stuck **_

* * *

"Closed until further notice," Haruka read the sign, rather irritated. "She was tipped off," she concluded, kicking at the diner's entrance. "This _is_ the place right?" 

Yukino didn't need to check the file to answer her. Chemical odors could be detected yards from the establishment. "Has to be. We should take a look around, maybe someone's in the basement. Synthesis may still be taking place."

The detectives trudged around to the back of the building, finding an open cubbyhole. The wide open doors were invitation enough for Haruka to step down, but she was quickly stopped by her partner.

"We can't go inside Haruka-chan, we don't have a warrant," Yukino explained.

Haruka looked at her for a moment, questioning the necessity of piece of paper to allow her to barge into meth labs and kick the daylights out of every drug-making delinquent she found. Sighing, she threw her hat on the ground, "Well what was the point of coming here?"

Yukino put a finger to her lips, her ears picking up voices from the interior. The detectives stiffened as the voices drew closer. Two figures suddenly emerged out of the cubbyhole, each carrying one sealed cardboard box.

The young woman looked at them strangely, dropping the boxes in front of them. "You're here early," she said, "I was expecting Chie-san and Aoi-san. No big deal, I guess they're busy."

"Yes, quite," Yukino said quickly, asking with a glance at her partner for her to play along. "How much is there?"

The brown-haired girl shrugged, looking to her male companion, "About twenty-five bricks in each box, right Kazu-kun?"

He nodded, "Good stuff this time, too. Not that peanut butter crank. Thanks for getting us the right ingredients this time."

"Kazu-kun!" The girl admonished him quickly, turning to the detective apologetically, "He didn't mean it that way! Whatever you choose to supply us with is fine."

Haruka and Yukino looked at each other, then at the young couple. They had obviously been roped into this vocation; they were in no way career criminals.

"Where's the, eh, what is it? The chef? Where is she?" Haruka asked after a beat of silence.

Akane's eyebrow raised for a second, before she noticeably forced herself to remain stoic. "Ah, Mai-san didn't come in today. She closed the place yesterday after that incident with the saiko. You know what I'm talking about."

Their blank faces all but confirmed her suspicions. She pulled on Kazuya's sleeve, who timidly asked, "Um, who are you again?"

"Oh," Haruka flipped her badge out simultaneously with Yukino, "We're the police—Oi! Where are you going? STOP! Yukino get 'er!"

The couple had taken off sprinting in opposite directions, with no intent to stop. Yukino had spared herself the physical exertion, only standing by while Haruka chased fruitlessly after Kazuya. She instead, loaded the boxes into the cruiser's trunk for safe-keeping in the evidence locker. She waited only a few minutes for her partner to return, winded and empty-handed.

"You… didn't get... her either?" Haruka panted out.

Yukino shook her head, her eye focused on the concrete in front of the building. She leaned down next to a single drop of blood on the sidewalk. She looked to Haruka, "I wonder what she meant by 'that incident with the saiko'?"

"I don't know," Haruka replied, her breath returning to her, "But we have descriptions on those two punks. Let's get back to HQ so we can find out who they are and get the warrants. They're not getting away this time."

* * *

_**Beneath the heather lies the meadowlark **_

* * *

The mansion was quiet; the way Reito intended it to be when he sent all the guards out of the house. His exhausted wife admitted to being wary of seeing anymore guns, especially in her home. She was a touch more fatigued than he was accustomed to seeing her; she was a master of concealing emotions, as was he. They were similar in so many ways, he had been in awe when he met her on that Hawaiian beach. Whether his heir took on mostly his traits or hers, Reito was sure he would pleased. 

She was at the moment the most relaxed she had been since he returned home. A foot massage and the empty syringe on the nightstand had seen to that. He smiled as he continued to press his thumbs into one of her deep arches, watching her toes wiggle in delight.

"It was Sugiura's people," he began to explain, as her eyes fluttered close. "She's more idiotic than I thought, retaliating even after she busted in here like a barbarian. Perhaps I should've taken care of Tate myself."

Shizuru sighed, taking away her foot and extending the other one. "Was it so imperative to get rid of him that you risked starting a war?"

She pouted when he smacked her foot away, leaving the bed. She leaned up slowly on one arm, watching him light a cigarette. He was still in his business clothes, a shirt and slacks. She thought he looked better in traditional garb; his Western clothing seemed out of date, the pants too high and the cuffs too large. Then again, he was a man often described as being from another time.

"He was getting in my way, he had to go," he finally replied, going to the window, "Anyway, now they're after Natsuki. I don't understand how they got her. She's usually not so careless."

Shizuru's mind flashed to the taste of the saiko's bottom lip on the tip of her tongue. "It could've happened to anyone."

Reito glanced at her curiously. "I suppose," he said. A smile lit up his face despite the heaviness of his thoughts as he thought back to a recent phone conversation with Kazehana. "Nao-chan, that reckless little girl. She started a war."

"I'm sure it won't get that out of hand," Shizuru mumbled quietly, turning her face into a pillow.

The Oyabun was certain his bride was grossly uninformed on underworld politics, but when attempting to respond he found that sleep had already overcome her. He frowned and slapped her hip, disappointed when she didn't respond. Even though he sedated her, at the moment he wanted to talk his thoughts out some more.

The serendipitous vibration of his cell phone returned the smile to his face, which soon faded when he read the caller's name. "What is it now Kazehana? How many more did Nao-chan slaughter?"

The voice on the other line was, as always, unaffected by his attitude. "Yuuki-san is in the clear, as long as that vehicle is never seen again, Kumicho. I'm afraid you have a new problem, one which I can not turn a blind eye to."

"Do tell," he prompted uninterestedly.

"Your shabu makers were arrested."

"Mai-san?"

Chief Kazehana paused to register his suddenly concerned tone of voice. "Akane Higurashi and Kazuya Kurauchi were apprehended this afternoon."

Relieved, he went to the bed and laid his head on Shizuru's butt. "Well those are the risks. Sacrifices have to be made in this game sometimes."

"1200 pounds of crystal methamphetamine were confiscated and the building, a diner I believe, has been quarantined. I'm sure my detectives will be making inquiries into Mai Tokiha as well."

"What the fuck Kazehana?" He shot up, furiously pounding on the mattress. Shizuru stirred slightly. "What the hell do I pay you for? Keep your pigs out of my business!"

The voice on the other line raised one decibel, the highest he had ever heard it, "My hands are tied right now. I suggest you administer your business with a level-head."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, the fact that Tokiha-san came to me for help suggests a serious lack of managerial skills."

Although he was silent, Kazehana could hear him seething. "Bite your tongue, Mashiro," he said in a menacingly low voice. "You keep your detectives out of my way. I'll deal with Tokiha."

* * *

_**I'm slow to finish but I'm quick to start **_

Am I dreaming?

Shizuru's crimson eyes opened slowly to the sight of a bleary figure hovering above her. She tried to rise, but found that her body was too lethargic, despite the imminent danger she could be facing.

"I didn't mean to wake you," a gravelly voice that somehow put her at ease, came from the retreating figure.

"Wait," the lady heard her own hoarse voice say, summoning all her energy to sit up, "Natsuki?"

The saiko nodded as Shizuru's eyes gained focus, noticing that she had forgone her customary black suit for a white t-shirt and jeans, "I was just looking for Kumicho. It doesn't look like he's here."

Shizuru's mind became clearer faster than her body could keep up with. She wondered what business was so urgent that Natsuki would venture into the couple's bedroom. Not that she minded. "He was," she said, looking at the clock, eyebrows furrowing. She had been out for only a few hours, and now her limbs refused to listen to her. She didn't want the saiko to see her in such a state. "Lock the door."

Natsuki wavered, "What?"

Mustering as much grace as she could, she swung her legs off the bed and stood. "Please," she said, going to her dresser.

Natsuki watched her sit at the dresser in her plum satin night gown, uncovering a familiar silver tray with a rolled up ¥10,000 note lying next to it. She locked the door.

"How are you feeling?" Shizuru asked, cutting up some lines with a platinum credit card, her back to the saiko.

"Fine," she replied, "I've been hit before." She considered taking a seat on the disheveled bed, but went to the large windows instead. "I was wondering how you were doing with it."

"I too, have been in such situations," the lady stated quietly while Natsuki fingered the fine embroidered curtains. After a moment she drew them closed.

"Really?" Natsuki smirked, turning to see the honey-haired woman sighing contentedly, inhaling deeply with her nose in the air. "Where did Kumicho find you anyway?"

The saiko waited as she vacuumed up another line. After two more, her body had caught up with herself. "He found me on the beach," she finally replied in a more recognizable tone of voice, grimacing as the bitter drip assaulted the back of her throat. She smiled through it, turning to Natsuki and offering the rolled up bill.

She went to lie on the bed again as Natsuki took her place at the dresser. Now equipped to talk and share whatever thoughts passed through her, Shizuru decided to indulge the other woman's curiosity. "It's a sweet story, actually. He was looking for my former employer, but found me instead. He meant to take me as collateral. We married in Tokyo, in between flights."

"Romantic," Natsuki commented dryly, after a long blow.

Shizuru turned onto her stomach, leaning up on her elbows. "Quite," she chuckled.

Natsuki looked at her smiling that beguiling smile of hers, swinging her feet in the air on her marital bed. "Do you regret it?" The question left her mouth before she could consider its repercussions.

"I haven't a reason to," she replied simply.

"Do you love him?" Another question she was likely to regret asking. Shizuru, however, didn't seem angry or perturbed.

She had now turned onto her back again and stretched her arms over her head, pinning the saiko with a mildly curious look. Natsuki wondered about the purpose of such an alluring pose.

"I didn't marry Reito because I love him." She paused as Natsuki joined her, sitting on the very edge of the bed. "But I believe you know that."

Natsuki saw her own hand reach out to touch the short hem of the lady's night gown. Shizuru sat up, drawing closer to her, but the hand retracted itself quickly. "What happens when he decides the same thing about you?"

Shizuru was surprised by this peculiar inquiry, eyebrows furrowing together. "Natsuki is full of questions."

The saiko grunted, looking away. "I don't think you really know who you're married to," she said matter-of-factly.

The corner of Shizuru's mouth twitched as she held back a scathing reply. "You underestimate me. I'm capable of taking care of myself. And you, being the honorable saiko that you are, know that it is not your place to question me."

Natsuki could clearly detect the annoyance she had caused in the lady, but was infuriated by her attempt to remind her of rank. Scowling, she pushed herself close enough to touch noses with Shizuru. "Yeah that right, I'm the fucking saiko that's here for you enjoyment, but when he gets a son out of you and ships your ass back to Hawaii so he can be with that chef, _I'll_ still be here," she spat heatedly.

Shizuru's crimson eyes flashed, the only indicator that Natsuki's provocation meant anything. Upset with herself for having wasted time and spilled secrets, she tried to pull away to storm out, but was caught by Shizuru's hand on the front of her t-shirt.

She flung Natsuki onto the bed with surprising strength and whipped her night gown off seconds later. "It's not going to happen that way," she stated, but with the sight of the Kumicho's nude wife before her, Natsuki had already forgotten the argument.

* * *

_**I love the feeling when it falls apart  
**_

* * *

"Pocket fours? Pocket fucking fours?" Nao slammed her fist on the green felt covered table, causing stacks of chips to tumble and golden-brown drinks to spill. "You can't beat Ace-King with pocket fours!" 

The other four players in the private poker room of the Kanzaki's "Paradise" casino rolled their eyes at her theatrics.

"I just did," Chie stared at her over the top of her glasses, raking in Nao's lost chips. "Settle down now. I think you should go home, you've had a shitty attitude all night."

"Did you fight with Kuga or something?"

Nao turned to Masashi Takeda, "How the fuck is it any of your business?"

"I saw her at the estate on my way out," the spiky headed buttonman said, "She seemed pretty mad, so I didn't talk to her."

"What was she doing at the estate?"

He shrugged, "Don't know, but if she was looking for Kumicho she's not going to find him. Maybe she had to baby-sit his wife again—hey!"

Takeda was cut short as Nao kicked his chair over. He scrambled to his feet as she grabbed him, fist poised to connect with his face. Chie caught her arm quickly before she swung however, and managed to twist it behind her back.

"Alright, you're done for the night. Go home and cool off," she told the younger woman, gently shoving her out of the poker room and into the casino's crowded main room.

"Fuck you too Chie," Nao spat. Irritated, she lit up a cigarette and pushed her way out of the noisy place and into the refreshing night air. She paced around angrily, thinking on what could have kept her missing oyabun at the Kanzaki mansion while the boss was out. She gritted her teeth, coming to a quick conclusion. Flicking her cigarette away, she decided to do something about, but realized she was without a vehicle due to her hasty early morning actions. She hadn't stolen a car in years, but she looked around for a suitable target anyway.

Her eyes caught sigh of a familiar busty strawberry-blonde, staring up at the Paradise and looking as out of place as a foreigner. "What are you doing around here?" Nao called to her.

Startled, she took a few steps away from the building, but stopped upon recognizing Nao. "I'm looking for the saiko. Is she here?"

Nao narrowed her eyes, wondering what the chef could possibly want with Natsuki. "No. What, is she fucking you too?"

Mai was taken aback by this notion. It seemed the information she planned to use on the saiko with was not so much of a secret after all. "No, no, I just need to talk to her. But I guess it's pointless now."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Mai looked at the redhead skeptically, "Wait, who are you again?"

Nao grinned, "I'm the saiko's little sister," she said in a way that seemed to Mai too innocent to be coming from her, "Come on, anything you can trust her with, you can trust me with. Let's go upstairs, you look like you need a drink." She swung an arm around a bewildered Mai, leading her back up into the casino.

* * *

_I doubt they play Texas Hold Em in Japan, but I really don't know what they play in yakuza casinos, exceptfor kick-ass Fatal Fury slot machines._ _More A/N on profile page._

**_Chapter 4: Nao's agreement, Shizuru's boldness, and Mai's face-off!_**


	4. Four

_Hope you had a wonderfu Easter/Holi/Mawlid an-Nabi. Great weekend, eh? Leave me a review, a chocolate bunny, or a mixture of milk and hashish. Or all three._

**Warnings: Note the (late) rating change to M. All the usual stuff, with some extra. **

**Helpful terms:  
****uwagi **– traditional Japanese shirt  
**hakama** – traditional Japanese pants  
**katana** – a long steel Samurai sword  
**shabu **– crystal meth  
**-onee-san** – title of yakuza women; denotes respect  
**oyabun** – mentor/older sibling to a kobun  
**imoto-chan**- little sister

* * *

_**Hey! Wait! I've got a new complaint**_

* * *

The myriad water coolers of the Fuuka Police Department's first precinct rippled ominously as a blonde detective of curious repute stomped to the Chief's door, her partner worriedly following behind. Neglecting to knock, she burst through the door to find what she expected, the Chief calmly sipping a cup of tea behind her desk.

The diminutive woman placed the cup down on a saucer and folded her hands in her lap, "Suzushiro, Kikukawa, good morning. We are scheduled for a meeting this afternoon, are we not?"

"Yeah, well it just couldn't wait," Haruka's voice boomed angrily as Yukino shut the door behind them. "Where are our warrants for Tokiha?"

Chief Kazehana blinked as the detective slammed her fists down onto her desk, rattling the teacup and saucer. "Mai Tokiha is not an assignment right now," she replied plainly.

Yukino emerged from behind her looming partner, her brows creased in concern, "Excuse us Chief, but Haruka and I are failing to see the reasoning in not going after her. The accounts of Kurauchi and Higurashi give us more than enough to necessitate her arrest."

"We need to go after her!" Haruka added impatiently.

Kazehana leaned back in her leather chair, closing her eyes tiredly. She admonished herself for underestimating these two. Well, Kikukawa at least. "Getting Tokiha is not an assignment right now," she repeated. "Please wait until our scheduled meeting to discuss related matters further. Now, I have much paperwork—"

"What is with you?" The blonde detective snarled, raising her fist in agitation. Yukino's hand on her shoulder persuaded her to relax her arms at her sides. "I mean, why can't we get her? And why did it take so long to get us on that meth lab case anyway? There were complaints about that place dating back to six months ago! If I didn't know any better I'd say you were in someone's pocket Kazehana!"

"Haruka-chan!" Yukino gasped at her partner's boldness, sure that they would now be faced with a suspension.

The Chief's eyes flashed across the insubordinate detective dangerously, but she only leaned forward in her seat. "Was it worth it, Suzushiro? You have it off your chest, now try and guess how many days of unpaid leave you and Kikuwawa will be taking."

Haruka bit into the inside of her cheek, taking a step back. Yukino agonized silently next to her, turning to her side so that the Chief wouldn't see her tearing up. It took a few moments for Haruka to compose herself and speak calmly.

"I apologize Chief, honestly. But don't take my foolishness out on Yukino, she didn't do anything," she started, before anger boiled back up in her, "I just don't understand what's going on here!"

Kazehana sighed, the sight of Kikukawa perhaps crying in her office softening her indignation at Suzushiro's offense, just a bit. She opened a file cabinet in her desk, sifting through it. "Had you withheld yourselves appropriately until the appointed meeting, you two would've been glad to know," she pulled out a rather thick file and tossed it towards Haruka, "What's in there. The meeting would've also enlightened you a great deal. You will still attend."

She watched Suzushiro begin to smile and Yukino wipe away her tears, if not prematurely. She lifted the saucer from the desk, taking a long sip of tea. "Your suspension will start tomorrow. Five days."

A hugely uncharacteristic swear crossed Suzushiro's lips. The Chief frowned.

"Seven days."

Yukino pulled her partner out of the office before anymore could be said.

* * *

_**Forever in debt to your priceless advice**_

* * *

It was already mid-morning when Nao slinked into Natsuki's house. Instead of going up to the attic, she found herself standing in front of the saiko's bedroom door. Her hand rose to knock, but after a moment's thought, landed on the knob and opened the door. The room was empty, in the same condition Natsuki left it in when she stormed out the evening before.

The redhead sighed, leaving the door open and heading to the kitchen to start the coffeemaker. She sat at the small table, opening and closing her switchblade absently, hoping Natsuki would be home soon.

Nao's eyebrows furrowed together as she remembered the conversation she had with Mai Tokiha, playing sympathetic ear to the agitated woman for the night. The chef was a genuine person with good intentions, Nao thought, but was inordinately stupid. In this business the only way out was in a body bag, Nao counted on that much, and knew that was likely to be the scenario Mai would be in soon, if she decided not to keep her secrets.

The young woman was baffled by Mai's decision to tell her everything; her guilt over Tate's death, her police visitation, her objective to get her brother back to Fuuka safely, no matter what; Nao didn't know what to do with all of it, but then the chef let slip her original plan in coming to the casino.

The switchblade oscillated back and forth after Nao stuck it into the wooden table with an irritated grunt. She pondered ways in which she could be the most loyal: slashing Mai right there for wanting to blackmail her oyabun, or letting Mai pay her to assassinate the Kumicho if she promised to keep her mouth shut about his wife and Natsuki.

The wad of bills made an obnoxious bulge in the front pocket of her pants and Nao patted it securely. She didn't kill Mai, but she sure as hell wasn't going to kill Kumicho either. She felt a strange compulsion to give Natsuki what she deserved, but knew the skilled saiko would have her dead ten times before she hit the ground.

Just as this thought occurred to Nao, the familiar sound of a Ducati bike was heard rumbling to a stop, keys jingling in the front door a few seconds later. Nao rose to make her coffee; she was stirring it rapidly when Natsuki entered the kitchen. Nao didn't look up, but in her peripheral vision saw the woman in the same clothes she wore yesterday, hair pulled back into a messy ponytail.

Natsuki stopped in her tracks when she saw the younger girl sitting at the table, not expecting her to be home. "Hey," she said timidly, "When'd you get home?"

"Just now," Nao replied, "I was at Paradise all night. What about you?"

The saiko did not answer right away, pretending to be too busy fixing herself a cup of coffee to say anything, "Oh, I was around, running errands for Kumicho."

Nao smirked, resting her chin in her palm, "No you weren't."

Natsuki looked at her harshly, "Yes, I was."

"Kumicho was looking for the chef all night, and the chef was spilling her guts to me all night. And _you_ were fucking his wife 'til the sun came up."

The older woman eyed the younger carefully. She had indeed been fucking Shizuru until dawn, but after her previous skirmish with Nao, Natsuki supposed she just guessed accurately. Her long moments of silent thought, however, were misinterpreted as guiltiness.

"I knew it. God fucking damn it Kuga, he's going to have your head on a fucking silver platter. You and that stupid bitch are getting cancelled, no questions asked," Nao told her, incensed.

"He knows?!" Panic filled Natsuki, and she forgot about denying the accusation.

Nao rose from her seat, her oyabun's admission making her too anxious too sit. "No he doesn't know. He's got his head in his ass because of the chef. But she knows."

Natsuki grabbed Nao's shoulders, "Who?"

"The chef," The redhead was surprised when Natsuki let go of her and whipped out her revolver.

The night she was shot flashed into her mind, Shizuru holding her and kissing her forehead tenderly, while the chef stood right there. Making sure the nine chambers were loaded, Natsuki asked her third question, "Where is she?"

Nao put a hand on her gun-wielding hand, slowing her down before she went ballistic. "Don't do that. She's not going to tell anyone, I made sure of it."

"You made sure of it?" Natsuki repeated incredulously, "How?"

There was no way in hell Kuga could know that Mai paid her to off the head of their family. The possibility of that huge silver gun being pointed at her was too high for her liking. She shrugged, crossing her arms nonchalantly, "I made her an offer she couldn't refuse."

Natsuki looked at her strangely. "You're an idiot," she smiled, then sighed. "Thank you Nao," she ruffled the younger woman's short hair, "Just make sure you keep your mouth shut too. And keep up your end of the bargain, whatever it is. This is my life in the balance."

Nao removed Natsuki's hand from her head, but held it when she said, "Or, you can stop fucking Kumicho's wife, Kuga."

A frown crossed Natsuki's face, "I know," she let go of Nao's hand and moved to her bedroom, beginning to grin, "But I'm not going to."

Nao pulled a disgusted face as Natsuki closed the bedroom door on her, muttering, "You horny asshole. Now I have to kill someone."

* * *

_**She eyes me like a Pisces when I am weak**_

* * *

Mai was relieved to near her house; staying out all night drinking and unloading her burdens on the saiko's kobun had exhausted her. She took her time dragging her feet to the doorstep, her head still floating from the variety of liquors Nao Yuuki had insisted she consume. She fumbled in her purse for her keys, wondering if she would have made the bold move to offer the redhead money for blood if she had not been so tipsy.

Yuuki's mouth had curled into a sad little smirk. She had shaken her head at Mai, but upon noting the Chef's expression of desperation, snatched the cash from her and stuffed it into a pocket, not bothering to count it.

Sliding her shoes off, Mai considered that getting out of the business was costing her more than she ever began to think of. The only thing she wanted was a new heart for Takumi, and now she had to put a hit on the most feared man in Fuuka, blackmailing and paying one of his own people to double-cross him. The saiko's apparent affair with Kanzaki's wife just happened to be one of the few things that worked in her favor.

Shoulders sagging, she carried herself as far as the living room's armchair and collapsed there, reflecting on how necessarily complicated her life had become. Sighing, she sunk into the chair and let her eyes close for a nap.

"Good morning Mai-san."

Mai's eyes snapped open, horrified to hear that dangerously silky voice in her home. "Oh my God! What are you doing here?" She screamed, jumping out of the chair. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed the man dressed in a black uwagi shirt and gray hakama pants silently sitting on her sofa the entire time, holding a sheathed katana across his lap.

She clutched at her rapidly beating heart, "How did you get in?"

"I procured a key from you a while ago, don't you remember? Collateral," he stated with a revoltingly sweet smile. "And since the restaurant won't be making any money for a while, this house is the perfect provisional lab."

Mai's jaw dropped, hands balling into fists. "You're kidding! My parents left me this house! I'm not going to make shabu in my home!"

Reito rose from his seat, keeping the sword in his left hand. Mai's breath caught in her windpipe as he drew slowly closer to her. She flinched as his warm fingers touched her chin, and then gently cupped her face in full. "Why must you make this difficult for me Mai? I only want to help you."

She was caught in his dark gaze, his lips curving into a pleased smile as she blushed. She summoned her petrified limbs into action, shoving his hand away from her face. "I don't want that kind of help."

He frowned, his annoyance becoming clear. "I believe it is too late to decide that."

"I'll pay you back some other way, I promise! I just can't make drugs anymore, I can't do it!" She cried, frantically grabbing the front of his uwagi in desperation.

"There are other ways," he said barely above a whisper, putting his free hand on her shoulder and sliding it down the length of her back.

She jumped away from him, crossing her arms over herself protectively, "I—I can't do that either! Oh God, don't make me do that!"

Reito sighed, looking away as she cried. After years and years of the family business, crying women still had an effect on him. "There would be no pleasure in making you do it," he admitted quietly. He looked at her solemnly, "I'm offering you the world Mai. If you'll be mine, all your debts will be clear. You'll be the mistress of Fuuka, one of the most powerful women in all of Japan."

She paused in wiping away tears, looking at him curiously through big violet eyes. She nearly laughed, "Are you out of your mind?"

The sound of her ridiculing question sent him over the edge, finally losing his temper. She choked as he curled his fingers around her neck, slamming her into the nearest wall. He kept a firm grip around her neck, staring into her with terrifying eyes as he snarled, "The shabu business may be discontinued, but you still belong to me Mai. What would be the point of getting Takumi all that treatment if he were to turn up dead in his hospital room?"

Her eyes flashed at the mention of Takumi, and she instantly raised a knee into his groin. His grip on her was gone immediately as he gasped in pain, dropping the katana and stumbling about the room.

She picked up the sword and pulled it smoothly out of the scabbard, lifting it up so the point touched the underside of his chin. He stood to his full height, crossing his arms and meeting her steady gaze, all with the sword's point scratching against his throat.

"Here's your chance Mai. Kill me," he taunted, "If you don't do it now, you'll belong to me forever. I promise."

One stroke was all she needed, one slash across and his head would be rolling around on her carpet. She would be free.

Licking her lips, she raised the katana above her head, intending to come down hard enough to slice him in two. She saw him smirk.

He tackled her to the ground, taking advantage of her openness as she raised the sword too far above her head. The weapon clattered to the floor next to them as they wrestled momentarily, Reito easily pinning her beneath him.

He leaned over her, breathing heavily above her. "Do you see now that you have no choice? Either you're with me or against me Mai. And if you choose to be with me you can have anything."

"You're a lunatic!" She screamed at him, struggling against his grip.

He pushed her back down by the shoulders, her head slamming painfully into the floor. He winced as well as she began to sob, finally removing himself from on top of her. She lay weeping on the floor as he collected the katana and scabbard.

He sheathed it as he stood over her, frowning, "Think wisely Mai," he said before leaving her there.

* * *

_**I've been locked inside your Heart-Shaped box for weeks**_

* * *

Shizuru stared at her marital bed, visualizing the night she had with her husband's loyal saiko. She had been staring for a while.

Natsuki had been gone for scarcely a few hours before Shizuru felt the need to have her again. She laughed to herself, seated in front of her vanity, wondering how the thug could have possibly managed to infatuate her. She caught sight of the numerous love-marks marring the smooth skin of her chest and neck in the mirror, and was reminded.

She closed up her robe quickly, if Reito were to barge in she would be in serious trouble. She sighed as she realized her husband had been missing for some time now. She had overheard some of his phone conversations, the more earnest ones always concerning that Mai person.

Shizuru shook her head sadly. Her husband's taste was peculiar, to say the least. The woman may be attractive, but she was obviously terrified of him. She stood decisively, throwing open the doors of her armoire, picking out an especially daring dress. An evening gown was a bit extravagant for the mid-afternoon, but she cared as much for this fact as she did for Reito's apparent affection for busty redheads.

It angered her slightly, not because they were married, but because he could have chosen her to carry his seed instead. Shizuru certainly didn't want to be burdened with that, but it was clearer every day what her purpose in his life was.

When she arrived at Fuuka, foreign and vulnerable, she hadn't counted on meeting the incredibly sexy saiko and having her instantly crawl under her skin. But now it seemed that Shizuru could have the most dangerous weapon at her disposal. And just like that she could be free again.

She turned in front of the vanity's mirrors, pleased with the flowing garment's fit on her body. She decided to do her hair up, but realized the combination of low v-neck and updo meant that her hickies would be exposed for the world. Giggling to herself she reached into the armoire for a long fur coat.

"Where are you going?" A buttonman approached her as she was leaving the house. She frowned at his distrustful tone. The staff had not taken to her as well as she would have liked them to; they neither treated her like family nor feared the power she attained through marriage.

However, she replaced her frown with a polite smile, "Ara, I'm allowed to go out, aren't I?"

He returned her smile shyly, suddenly averting eye contact, "Um, the matter is that the Kumicho hasn't authorized—"

"Well now, the Kumicho has been gone for quite some time now hasn't he? Doesn't that leave me in charge?"

The buttonman looked at her with confusion. "Does it? I thought that Natsuki-onee-san was in charge in Kumicho's absence."

Shizuru's smile grew slightly, pleased to hear this news. "I'm sure you're correct. In any case I'm on my way to meet her. She should be upset if I were to be late." She was satisfied as he hastily offered to drive her to her meeting with the esteemed saiko.

Nao was glad to hear her cell phone ring, becoming increasingly bored while waiting for Natsuki to emerge from her bedroom. She answered it quickly, but was surprised and annoyed by the familiar voice she heard on the line. The shaky voice didn't wait for formalities, launching into a desperate rapidly-spoken plea.

Nao frowned, somewhat concerned, but at this point not willing to stick her neck out further. "Listen, I'm doing a lot for you already. I can't help you with that. And who told you it was okay to call me?" She sighed as she was cut off by racking sobs. "Calm down. I might be able to give you a name or something, but—" Her eyes rolled as the crying on the line grew loud enough for her to move the phone away from her ear. It was starting to really bug her, "Hey, calm your ass down and I'll try to help you as much as I can. Meet me at Paradise right now and I'll see what I can do."

She closed her phone with a snap, smiling as she was sure Natsuki would be pleased with her consultative skills. Perhaps one day she would be a better saiko than her oyabun, she mused.

Sticking an unlit cigarette in her mouth, she grabbed her keys and headed out the door, but stopped in her tracks upon sighting the lady standing on the stoop. She looked at the woman clad in a closed fur coat and evening gown strangely. The three inch silver heels made her tower that much above Nao, the redhead looking up to meet her wine-colored eyes.

"Can I help you?" Nao asked uncertainly, eyebrow raised, cigarette hanging loosely in her lips.

"Ara, you must be Nao-chan," the lady smiled amiably.

Nao nodded slowly. "And who the fuck are you?"

Shizuru's eyebrows jumped slightly, her smile becoming a shrewd smirk. She ignored the question. "I assume Natsuki is in?"

The younger woman stepped over the threshold, blocking Shizuru's view into the house. "Who's Natsuki?" She asked craftily.

Shizuru did not intend to play this game. "I know you know who your oyabun is. I am not an enemy. I just wish to speak with Natsuki."

A devious smile grew on Nao's face. She crossed her arms, squaring up to the taller woman. "I know who you are," she sang teasingly. Her grin turned into a disgusted scowl. "Unfortunately, Kuga doesn't allow whores in her house."

Nao watched for reaction but got nothing behind the stony crimson glare, only the still smirk. "That is indeed unfortunate, since it seems she has an open door policy for foul-mouthed degenerate twinks."

Shizuru did not blink when Nao's switchblade was suddenly flipped open and pointed at her nose. The redhead was grinning wildly, "You're lucky you're married to who you're married to." She returned the blade into its socket, "But that won't matter for long. You better not fuck over Natsuki."

Shizuru was pleased as Nao stepped aside, allowing her inside. She paused before she entered the house, smirking roguishly, "Rest assured imoto-chan, I have no desire to fuck her over. Just to fuck her."

"I'm naked!" Natsuki warned, hearing the bedroom door open as she toweled off her wet hair.

"Ara, already? But I wanted to undress you."

The saiko, haphazardly covering herself with the towel, stared in confusion as Shizuru stepped into the room. "What are you doing here?"

Shizuru's lips curved into a smile, undoing the latches on her coat. Natsuki watched, with a slowly growing grin, as it slipped from her bare shoulders and dropped to the floor, revealing a midnight blue gown. The halter style v-neck dipped almost to her navel, causing the saiko to lose the grip on her towel.

Pleased by her reaction, Shizuru sauntered to the nude woman and wrapped her arms around her neck, twirling strands of wet hair around her finger. "Natsuki has become my new addiction," she said into her ear.

Natsuki resisted the urge to immediately jump her, her insides flipping at the carnal tone of voice. She placed her hands on the lady's hips, putting some distance between them. "What did you tell Kumicho?"

Shizuru grabbed more of Natsuki's tresses with both hands and leaned forward, intent on recovering lost space. She was not interested in talking about her husband at the moment. "Nothing, he hasn't returned yet," she said dismissively, finally getting her lips onto Natsuki's.

The kiss lingered for a while, but Natsuki could not let her concerns go yet, though she really wanted to. "Hold up," she said half-heartedly, as Shizuru nibbled the skin below her ear, "People know about you and me, you know."

Shizuru finally paused, meeting her eyes, "Who?"

"Nao, for one."

"Ah yes, I met imoto-chan just now. You made an interesting choice in your kobun," the lady remarked dryly, with a hint of distaste. "Who else?"

Natsuki chuckled, figuring the two would likely be natural enemies. "The chef knows too," she sighed as she picked up the towel and scrubbed it over her damp head once more, "I was careless when I was getting stitched up. I guess she assumed some things from that night that turned out to be true."

"Get rid of her."

Natsuki chuckled, the notion of Shizuru asking her to waste someone somehow tickling her. She looked up to realize that Shizuru was not laughing. "You're serious?"

The wine-colored gaze suddenly hardened, losing its usual subtle mischief. "Yes," she replied evenly, "Reito will kill us, without hesitation. You have to get rid of her."

"Okay," Natsuki replied unthinkingly, entranced by the sudden mood change. Something about it excited her. "Although, it's sort of been taken care of already. She won't talk."

"Is she dead?"

"Well, no—"

"Then she might talk. There is only one sure way," the lady said with finality, lying back on Natsuki's bed and closing her eyes.

She smiled as she felt the saiko hover above her, sliding the long dress all the way up her legs and positioning herself in between them. She inhaled sharply as Natsuki pressed into her, kissing her chin as her back arched. "You're the perfect first lady aren't you?"

Natsuki eased up, pushing more of the dress up to slide Shizuru's panties off. "I'd be perfect for someone else," the lady replied as she cheekily placed her legs on Natsuki's shoulders.

The saiko laid a bite into a smooth calf, "What does that mean?"

"It means," Shizuru waited as the woman's lips journeyed up her sleek thigh, "that you would be the perfect Kumicho."

Natsuki paused her lips on Shizuru's sternum, a bit confused. "I don't want to start my own group, I've been with Kanzakis my whole life," she couldn't help her smile as she pulled aside fabric to get at a breast.

The line of conversation was forgotten momentarily as her mouth sought a delicious peak, Shizuru gasping delightedly in response. In order to pay attention to the other one, Natsuki decided to finally remove the dress, pulling it over the lady's head. Once the garment was tossed to some corner of the room, Natsuki found herself flipped over, pulling Shizuru's legs around her as she sat up.

"You can take over the Kanzaki-kai," Shizuru whispered persuasively as she cradled Natsuki's head, while the saiko's mouth pulled at the other nipple. Shizuru's suggestion though, slowed her fervor and she looked up at the lady in her lap questioningly, while she let down her hair.

"No I can't," she replied earnestly, trying to ignore the fingernails grazing lightly over her back and shoulders. "After Reito, your kid'll probably be the next Kumicho."

"Ara, but I haven't had a kid, nor do I want one!" Shizuru pushed her down into the bed, exasperated. She shimmied up to sit on Natsuki's stomach, while the saiko looked at her, bewildered. "Is Natsuki also so eager to see me pregnant?"

Natsuki pushed up on her elbows, vehemently replying, "Fuck no! But it's not up to me. You're still married to him!"

A strange smile grew on her lips as she dragged her nails down Natsuki's chest, "What if I wasn't?"

The saiko let herself laugh at this, "He'd sooner kill you than let you have a divorce without giving him at least one son."

"That's true," she replied with a sigh, "But I'd rather kill him first than have his child." She frowned as Natsuki snorted, then laughed beneath her. She slid her hand up her chest, coming to cup Natsuki's throat, "That's funny is it?"

The dangerous glint in her eye drove Natsuki over the edge. With a perilous look of her own, she grabbed hold of Shizuru's thighs and suddenly threw her into the mattress, flipping them again. She avoided the kiss as Shizuru leaned up for it, clamping her legs around her waist. "So you have your own plans for world domination, hm?" Shizuru's eyes shut tightly and bit her lip as Natsuki sank her teeth into her neck.

She took a handful of honey-colored hair and slipped the other hand abruptly between Shizuru's legs. The lady arched into her, gasping, as she whispered, "I'm not going to betray my Oyabun," she sought Shizuru's mouth for a hard kiss, "Not even for you."

* * *

_Does anyone actually read the A/N on my profile page? Well, it's there just in case._

_**Chapter 5: An attack in California, an ambush in a car lot, and confrontation at the Estate.**_


	5. Five

_I'm not happy with this chapter. Had a lot going on, couldn't convey everything I wanted to in this chapter, at least not in the way I wanted. Also, some readers have expressed interest in backstory, and unfortunately I can't fit it into this particular story, but that is always an idea for a prequel/sequel!_

**Warnings: Loads of violence in this one.**

**_Helpful terms:  
_gakuran** – male high school uniform  
**Triads** – Chinese mafia; often in competition with the yakuza  
**sohonbucho** – yakuza headquarters chief; of equal rank with Saiko  
**shabu** – crystal meth  
**yaoto-wang** – ecstasy (MDMA)  
**ojou-chan** – young lady; slang for cute girl

_**

* * *

**_

This is just a nightmare

* * *

Takumi Tokiha thanked the gods everyday for his good fortune. He had lived through high risk surgery, and his new heart was received by his previously frail body without any major complications. The American doctors had congratulated him on his second chance at life and he in turn thanked them for giving it to him. But before that he silently thanked his sister.

His sister, who had raised him as a son despite the little difference in age, who had miraculously conjured up the money to send him to the expensive California hospital, and who was of late hard to get a hold of.

With his discharge just weeks away, he assumed that she was busy preparing for his return. Her phone calls recently were short and sporadic at best, sounding in each one as if she was exhausted.

He frowned, as he sat in a wicker chair on the hospital's grassy courtyard, wondering why she was so tired, why she was not answering her phone now as he made the long distance call, and above all else, why she had sent him the curt "personal nurse" who stood shifty-eyed and imposing beside him.

Akira Okuzaki had shown up just days ago, appearing in his room as if she had materialized there out of thin air. He had clutched at his new heart, but she attempted a smile and handed him a letter addressed from Mai. The letter was as terse as the phone calls, but explained that Akira was hired for his safety. Takumi had put it aside, questioning the need for a "nurse" dressed in a black gakuran, with no apparent medical knowledge. He decided to trust his sister and acquiesced, even though falling asleep with someone sitting awake in his dark room was a bit creepy.

"She's not answering," he announced timidly, handing the cell phone back to her.

Akira only nodded, eyes scanning the landscape constantly. She was not a traditionally daunting figure, standing three centimeters less than his height, but still managed to terrify the other hospital patrons into not so much as looking at Takumi. The staff had given up on trying to herd her out after visiting hours, a young scrub's broken fingers testament to the fact that she should not be pushed around.

"It's getting dark," she said in her hard-voiced, accented Japanese.

Takumi nodded, looking towards the west and into the low Los Angeles sun which felt like it had been setting for hours. He nodded and rose, surprised when she offered an arm for support. He smiled warmly in return and with linked arms they entered the hospital. The crowded hallway parted for them as they silently went through to the elevator, taking them up to his eighth floor room.

"I wonder what they'll bring me for dinner tonight," he wondered absently as Akira entered the room before him, eyes shifty as ever and checking every corner of the fluorescent lit room. He paid no mind, removing his sneakers and sliding into a pair of fluffy slippers, "Hospital food has a bad reputation, but it isn't so bad. I miss Onee-chan's cooking though." He sat on his full-sized bed while his guardian took a seat at the small table by the large curtain-less windows. "Maybe if I ask them, they'll bring a hot plate and let me cook something for us," he suggested, although he had yet to see Akira eat.

She took her gaze from the window, looking at him strangely, "You cook?"

"Yup, one of my favorite hobbies," he grinned, glad to see she had taken an interest in something he had said. He frowned though when she snorted and turned back to the window.

"Odd hobby for a boy."

He wanted to make a remark on the oddity of a girl dressing in a boy's school uniform, but only shrugged, thinking it wiser to not reply. The room attained its usual silence, and he thought of maybe turning the television on, but was soon glad to hear the din of a food cart coming down the hallway and stopping in front of his door.

He hopped out of bed and opened the room's door, but was surprised when the usual nurse who delivered dinner was not the one who greeted him, although she held a tray decked with lasagna, salad and a milk carton, and wore a long white doctor's coat.

"Takumi Tokiha?" The stranger asked, her voice a steely monotone.

Akira rose from her seat as he answered the tall pale nurse, stepping aside to let her in, "Yes, that's me."

The tray dropped at her feet as soon as the door clicked shut behind her. A scream bubbled in Takumi's throat as cold hands wrapped around his neck and lifted him from the floor.

He dangled in the air for only a second, Akira tackling the intruder to the floor. Unfortunately the woman's hands were veritable clamps, her hold still tight as all three tumbled to the ground. He pried uselessly at her fingers as Akira threw furiously quick punches at the woman's face, her fists bloodying with each blow.

The crunch of bone breaking finally freed Takumi and he scrambled to the other side of the room as the woman, nose broken and bloody tears pouring from her red eyes, slammed her boots into Akira's stomach, sending the smaller girl crashing into the room's scant furniture.

She rose steadily to her feet as Takumi rushed to Akira's side, stalking slowly towards them. Akira pushed him away, "Hide, or she'll kill you."

"What!" He cried, doe brown eyes widening in horror.

The girl shoved him away more fiercely, standing to her feet. He watched in astonishment as she addressed the woman scornfully, in Chinese. The woman replied impassively in the same language, before lunging with supernatural speed at Akira. He dove out of the way as the two grappled, unable to comprehend how Akira matched up at all with the inhumanly strong woman.

Rapidly firing her knee into the woman's torso finally broke the hold, but only freed up her hands to land a hard uppercut on Akira's unguarded jaw. The smaller girl stumbled back, but caught the next punch just in time with her right hand only to have her retaliatory blow caught by the woman's other hand. The impostor doctor stepped in and caved her forehead into Akira's face, the headbutt sending the girl to the floor in daze as teeth loosened in her mouth.

Takumi whimpered as the woman wiped Akira's blood from her pale blue bangs and then turned to him. Panicking, he grabbed a lamp from the night stand and flung it at the intruder, yelping as she knocked it away like a pest with her fist. "What are you?" He cried out helplessly, unable to believe she was anything less than a bleeding robot. "What do you want with me?"

She replied simply, slowly approaching him, "I want you to die."

He backed into a wall, unable to do much else more than cower. His new heart was beating out of control, and he prayed that would kill him before this insane assassin did.

"Ora, you mercenary," Akira had regained some strength, spitting blood onto the tiled floor. Before the woman could turn around, the girl kicked high and landed her foot in the already broken nose. Quickly, she connected another kick to her ribs. Another kick to the face was caught and Akira was pulled off her feet again.

This time the woman clamped her hands around Akira's neck and had no intention of letting up until she ceased to breath. Akira coughed out as many insults as she knew, continuing to kick at the rigid body that lifted her considerably smaller frame off the floor.

A meek howl was heard from the other side of the room. Akira's eyes widened as she looked passed the assassin to Takumi running towards them with a chair lifted over his head. The death grip finally eased as the aluminum folding chair connected with the woman's head.

Hearing the crack of skull, Akira seized her chance and with gritted teeth threw the woman backwards over her shoulder, sending the static body crashing through the room's windows, down from the eighth floor to the parking lot below.

Takumi stumbled to the shattered window as a car alarm blared below and headlights blinked on and off, the body crushing the compact vehicle it had landed on.

He stared mutely for a second, before turning to Akira, who was busy wiping the blood from her hands and face. "What—what—what just happened?" He asked, sinking to the floor, hugging his knees to himself. "I… committed murder."

Sighing, Akira grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. "We can share that honor," she said as he looked at her morosely.

"Who _are_ you?"

She shrugged, turning to find her cell phone in the destroyed room. He continued to stare at her as she dialed a number. "Mai-san," she said into the phone, causing his new heart to jump, "It's happened. We'll see you in three days."

_**

* * *

**_

Soon I'm going to wake up

* * *

The cell phone exploded against the yellow-painted wall, breaking in half as it bounced onto the hardwood floor. Mai stomped on the remains, grinding the plastic under her shoe.

The voicemail from Okuzaki had informed her of what she feared most: Reito Kanzaki had kept true to his threat. She collapsed in her armchair, kicking a bulk supply of drain cleaner out of the way. Kanzaki had also made good on his intention to turn her home into a lab, as she had entered her house and found shabu ingredients and equipment stocked in the living room.

She rubbed her face and eyes roughly, unable to cry, to summon any emotions besides anger and frustration. It was good fortune, at least, that Nao Yuuki had come through for her. She hadn't assassinated the Kumicho like she was paid to do, but had set her up with the Triad body guard. Mai had been suspect of the diminutive girl's skill when she met her, but was soon won over by her low price and no-strings-attached policy. The last thing she needed was to be indebted to another gang.

She reached under her jacket, into the new accessory she had acquired from Nao, a holster. She took hold of what was inside, the handgun borrowed from Okuzaki. She didn't know much about it, Nao had mentioned "automatic" and "nine millimeter", but she did know that the black handle felt comfortable in her grip, the cold stainless steel both relaxing and frightening her. The satisfying image of Reito Kanzaki shot through the heart came to mind, with her on the other side of the barrel. It sickened her that she had come to thinking of such things, using such weapons.

Yet, it was necessary. She couldn't endanger Takumi further, and she couldn't wait for Nao to make her move. With gritted teeth she sprung to her feet and left the house without bothering to close the doors behind her.

"Yare, yare," Reito Kanzaki sighed, placing a cigarette in between his lips. He smiled as the young woman seated beside him offered up her nickel-plated lighter with a coy smile of her own. He returned his attention to the much older woman standing at the table, wringing her hands, "What's the problem?"

"Mama-san says she's short this month," Chie replied, flipping through a stack of bills on the other side of the table. "Apparently, those fucking Chinese are poaching customers. From what I hear, their girls are giving out free blowjobs with every drink. What do you want to do?"

Chie waited as the Kumicho nuzzled his hostess companion as she giggled and refilled his sake glass. "Tell Mama to have it all next month," he said, rubbing his nose against the young brunette's cheek.

The bespectacled sohonbucho nodded to the older woman, who bowed deeply before scurrying around tables occupied by Kanzakis to her office. "And the Chinese?" She asked, barely hiding her grimace as he continued to rub his face against the hostess's. "Kumicho?"

"Don't worry about them. I'm letting them run their little business here, and in return I borrowed their assassin."

Chie looked at him sternly, over her glasses, "You never discussed this. Why hire a mercenary when you have Mikoto, anyway?"

"I couldn't send her overseas," he replied simply, waving a nonchalant hand at her.

She frowned, "This has something to do with the chef, doesn't it? Kumicho, if you don't mind me saying, you're getting too carried away by this woman. Quite honestly, the shabu business isn't worth it anyway, all the money's in yaoto-wang nowadays."

"I don't care Chie," he replied as menacingly as he could, but ended up grinning. The sample dose she had given him hours ago was wearing off, yet his mind was still rolling and his skin still craved texture. His palms continued to satisfyingly glide over the hostess's thighs and arms, "Get a shipment from the chef tomorrow, and tell Natsuki to make the rest of the rounds. Where is she anyway?"

"I wish I could say," Chie replied, standing up. It was curious that the stubbornly tough saiko would take so long to recover from a gun shot injury, forcing Chie, who usually only presided over drug matters, to fill in for her. "She's been scarce lately."

The Kumicho didn't reply, his face finding the hostess's collarbone and cleavage as a new source of touch. With a barely concealed grimace, the sohonbucho decided to make her exit.

She considered going straight to the chef, seeing as she was to task her with the impossible feat of preparing a shipment of shabu in less than twenty-four hours. Driving into the chef's neighborhood, she recognized the street where ingredients had been delivered last night, then spotted the chef herself marching up the block. Chie chuckled at the woman's scowl as she honked the horn, "Oi, ojou-chan!"

Mai stiffened, stopping in her tracks as a familiar black sedan pulled up next to her. She cursed mentally as Chie Harada stepped out of the car, wearing a black suit and that conceitedly charismatic smirk that she often reserved for Mai, and other attractive young women, when there was no one else around. "What are you doing here?" She spat, passing the pretense of formalities.

Chie regarded the chef's mood with a grin, amused. "I just came to check up on you. Kumicho wants his order by tomorrow."

"Tell him to blow it out his ass. I'm not his fucking chef anymore."

The sohonbucho's eyebrows rose, having never seen such an attitude from the woman. She cleared her throat, resettling her glasses on her nose and stepped closer to Mai, "I know he's putting a lot of pressure on you now, but get started on a batch tonight, and we'll convince him that he doesn't need it until next week."

Mai looked at Chie, who had always previously treated her well, with obvious contempt, "Didn't you just hear me? I'm not doing that anymore!"

"Huh, well, according to Kumicho—"

"I don't care what the bastard says, I'm done with this! You can go tell him that—better yet take me to him, and I'll him myself!"

Chie removed her glasses with a sigh, wiping the lenses with her tie. "You're not done until Kumicho says you're done. You still owe us," she donned her glasses again, her tone losing all its usual gentleness. "So stop fucking around, and just do your job."

"This is _not_ my job," Mai gritted her teeth, fists clenched at her side. "I would have a real job if your fucking business didn't get my restaurant shut down!"

Chie was surprised when the angry woman actually shoved her. She stumbled a half step backwards, but was careful to catch herself before she reacted instinctively. Instead she shouted, "Are you fucking crazy?"

She watched as Mai took in a shaky breath, looking at her with grim violet eyes. Her hand slowly crept into her jacket, and Chie cursed as she realized what the chef was reaching for. This time she reacted, grabbing Mai's arm and after a struggle, twisting it behind her back. She felt underneath the jacket as the chef cried out, finding the semi-automatic in its holster. She removed the weapon then, with a knee to the back, released Mai.

Mai found herself fallen to the ground with Chie holding her gun.

"Just what did you think you were going to do with this, Tokiha-san?" Chie asked, leveling the gun at her. To her surprise, instead of answering, the chef flopped on the ground.

"Go on and kill me already. Get it over with," she said, ignoring the tears leaking from her eyes.

Chie tutted, sliding the full magazine clip out of the weapon and pocketing it. She dropped the now ammo-less gun in front of Mai, "I don't know what kind of spell you have on Kumicho, but I do know that he'd have _my_ ass if you were dead." She leaned down and took Mai's collar in both hands, forcefully pulling her to her feet. She stared into her for a few long moments, while Mai's broken expression stared back. "What were you going to do Tokiha? Were you actually going to try to kill Reito Kanzaki?"

"I wouldn't have to if that stupid Yuuki had done what I paid her for," Mai grunted, trying to push the sohonbucho away from her, but Chie kept an unyielding grip on her. "Or if your fucking Kumicho just left Takumi alone—"

At this, she began to break into sobs, but Chie was too disturbed by her previous statement to hold her up as she sank to the sidewalk. "What did you say about Nao?" She asked tentatively, part of her not wanting to pursue the comment.

"My baby brother thinks he killed someone! He just got his heart, for God's sake and I have him hanging out with a fucking Triad…"

Chie now knelt with her as she cried into her hands, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. She asked gently, "Why the Chinese?"

Mai, in her state of exhaustion and frustration, wanted desperately to cling to the idea that Chie might help her. "I needed someone to protect Takumi from Kanzaki—"

"So you're in with the Chinese?"

Mai registered Chie's suddenly cold voice and hastened to make her understand, "No! I went to Nao for help, and she—"

"Nao set you up with them?" Mai nodded, watching Chie's usually cheerful face become dour and dark, "And you paid her to… what?"

Mai looked away and Chie cursed. The sohonbucho pulled her to her feet once again to look her in the eye, "You're telling me that _you_ had the balls to pay one of the Kanzaki-kai to take out Kumicho, and she accepted?"

"I—"

Chie had heard enough. She entered and started up her vehicle as Mai continued to futilely babble excuses. The sohonbucho had driven away out of earshot, but Mai continued screaming.

_**

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**_

Someone's going to bring me around

* * *

"You really suck Nao," Natsuki laughed outright when the younger woman shot her a nasty look. She sipped her drink and continued to grin as Nao turned her attention back to the dealer raking in her lost cash. She watched as Nao placed another bet, the dealer spinning the roulette wheel and then taking her money once more.

"Damn it!" The redhead yelled, pounding on the table. She targeted the patient woman in a vest and bowtie, counting her money, "Are you fucking with me? How do I lose eleven times in a row?"

Natsuki took her hand, pulling her from the table, "It's not her fault you're unlucky."

"Hey, I'm not done!" Nao protested, but let herself be led away.

"Well, I am. This is boring."

Nao realized Natsuki was leading them towards Paradise's exit, and quickly tried pulling the saiko in the opposite direction. "Come on Kuga, don't be lame. I won't gamble anymore, so let's have some drinks or something."

Natsuki held up her gin and tonic, "I am drinking, and I've already hit my limit."

Nao rolled her eyes at Natsuki's two-drink limit, finding it inconceivable that someone who could vacuum up a mountain of cocaine in mere minutes could not stomach more than two hard drinks. "You are _such_ a pussy!" She tugged on Natsuki's arm, dragging her towards the bar. "Besides, when's the last time we hung out?"

"You live in my house Nao."

"Yeah, but—damn it would just have another fucking drink? It's like pulling teeth with you!" Nao nearly cringed at the way she sounded. She didn't want it to be completely obvious that she missed spending time with her oyabun. She knew that if Natsuki was not with her right then, she would be with Kumicho's wife. Nao just wanted to make sure the saiko didn't get too carried away, and spending her every waking moment with the woman would definitely carry her away.

Natsuki, feeling some of the effects of complementary cocktails, missed the tinges of desperation in her kobun's words. She allowed Nao to seat her at a barstool, although she continued to complain. "Seriously Nao, I have work to do."

Nao placed a secure hand on her shoulder, keeping Natsuki in her place, "Yeah right. Ever since you started fucking that woman, you could give a shit about work. I'm surprised Kumicho hasn't blown your head off just for that."

Natsuki smacked her hand away, "Don't even joke about that."

"I'm not joking," Nao said, as seriously as the saiko had ever heard her. She sighed heavily, combing a hand through her short hair.

"What's wrong with you?" Natsuki asked, catching sight of her nervous habits. She felt a small jolt in her chest as the younger woman pinned her with stormy eyes.

"Nothing… I'm just worried about you."

Natsuki attempted a chuckle, shrugging off Nao's earnest stare, "You're crazy. There's nothing to worry about, I can take care of myself."

Nao clutched at the older woman's blazer, "Then why are you getting so caught up with that woman? I don't like her Natsuki."

"Damn, you sound like your jealous—"

"Fuck you. I'm just trying to look out for you. What's going to happen to me if Kumicho finds out?"

Natsuki stood from her seat, slamming her glass on the bar top. She met Nao's faltering gaze with her own hard stare, "That's not going to happen if _no one_ talks."

The redhead scowled at Natsuki, shoving her, "What the fuck, you think I'm going to rat on you? You fucking asshole, do you know I'm busting my ass for that chef to keep her from talking? God damn it, if it wasn't for me—"

Natsuki rolled her head around her shoulders, cracking her neck. Nao immediately stopped speaking, knowing when the saiko was getting serious. "Listen to me Nao. I'm going to do whatever the fuck I want, because I know how to do it. If you don't like it then… shit, you have a mother, right? Go live with her."

Natsuki regretted causing the brief flash of hurt she saw in her kobun's eyes, right before Nao picked up her glass and flung the contents into her face.

Nao had done a lot to deserve reprimand in her long career with the saiko, but for the first time Natsuki felt the need to discipline her. Wiping the liquid from her eyes, she ground her teeth together and reached for Nao's collar.

"Easy," a hand took Natsuki's fist before it contacted Nao's flinching face. Chie had arrived at Paradise at an opportune moment, catching the latter parts of the conversation. She pulled Natsuki away while Aoi took Nao by the shoulders.

"You're getting into a lot of trouble aren't you?" the brown-haired tattoo-artist said with wet eyelashes that Nao failed to notice.

She shook off Aoi's hold, "I'm out of here."

"Wait a minute," Chie called to her, after sending a fuming Natsuki to another corner of the casino, "Let's go for a ride."

"Fine," Nao agreed quickly, only wanting to get away from her dangerously incensed oyabun. Her mind reeled with thoughts and rationalizations, ways to sneak back into Natsuki's home and placate her, ways to murder the whore that was coming between them, ways to reconcile her muddled feelings before Natsuki fell any deeper.

Her thoughts consumed her so, she barely noticed the route Chie drove, finally looking up when they stopped in a familiar underground parking garage.

"Why are we here? Am I finally getting a new car?"

Chie was strangely silent, stepping out of the vehicle. Nao noticed her gloved hands, "Oh, I guess someone's gonna get it." She followed Chie to the center of the lot, where she had inexplicably stopped.

Chie took her glasses off and slipped them into a breast pocket, affording Nao the sight of her red eyes. Nao's eyebrows furrowed together as the sohonbucho sniffed several times. "What's with you? You and Aoi fight or something?"

"No," Chie finally replied, as soberly as Nao had ever heard her. "Look over there."

Nao looked to the spot Chie had pointed, noting its insignificance as the woman stepped behind her.

"You know Kumicho loves you right?"

Nao laughed at the odd question, "Sure."

"But he can't trust you anymore."

Nao heard Chie spit out this last line, then the click of a semi-automatic being cocked near her head.

"Shit," she breathed as she slid out her blades.

"I'm sorry," was the last thing she heard before the world turned to blackness around her.

* * *

_Profile page for A/N._


	6. Six Part I

_Yes it has been too long, and truthfully, this chapter isn't even finished. But it was getting long and I couldn't bear anymore pm's on whether or not Nao is really dead._

**Warnings: Violence!! adult language and situations.**

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_**My time has come once and for all**_

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"Fuck me," Shizuru breathed, but not in the tone or manner she was used to uttering such phrases. She muttered this in a state of disbelief, the pit of her stomach turning unpleasantly as she stared at the plastic stick with an offensively bright blue plus sign glaring back at her. Stomach still churning, her knees gave out and she dropped onto the toilet, the pregnancy test slipping from her trembling fingers and clattering to the bathroom tiles. Suddenly cold, she clutched at her indigo yukata and tightened the garment around herself.

"This can't be… I can't be…" She murmured leaning over and pressing her hands into her face, too shocked to even cry. She rocked back and forth a few times, wondering if she was even capable of becoming a mother, let alone permanently solidifying her relationship with Reito Kanzaki.

The thought of being bound to Kanzaki for life turned her stomach to knots, and she automatically reached for her cell phone. Without thinking her fingers dialed Natsuki's phone number, but refused to hit the send button. The saiko was too loyal for her own good, and Shizuru doubted that even she could get her out of this mess.

Sighing deeply, she looked up at the ceiling and asked God to forgive her, then rose to her feet. Ignoring the pale reflection in the mirror, she opened the cabinet over the sink and retrieved a long, thin razor. She returned to her seat on the toilet again, fingering lightly the flimsy piece of metal.

Reito entered the bedroom, glad to finally see his own bed. He had been traipsing around all night with the most reputable hostesses in Fuuka, leaving their company only to take Chie's phone calls. He was pleased to finally hear that she had done the job, after much reluctance. It was a pain to have to cancel someone he actually liked, but his father and older brother had always taught him to be wary of snakes in the grass. Even though the young redhead was now history, Reito was no less at ease, having the sinking feeling that there were many more snakes lurking about.

He shrugged out of his jacket and loosened his tie, as he looked about the large room for his wife. "Shizuru," he called out impatiently, having not seen or heard from her in the past 24 hours. Huffing with annoyance when no answer was given, he headed for the bathroom.

He paused as his hand rested on the doorknob, watching curiously as a small pool of blood gathered at the threshold. Suddenly panicked, he forced the door open to find his wife lumped on the cold tiles, blood pouring from her freshly sliced wrists.

"God!" He choked, rushing to her side and propping her upright against the sink. She released a whimper, slumping as he hastily wrapped toilet paper and hand towels around her wrists. He kneeled in front of her, holding a wrist in each hand, forcing her to look at him. "Are you out of your mind woman?" He barked at her. "Tell me Shizuru! Why did you do this?"

She let out an incoherent mumble. He let go of one wrist momentarily, to retrieve his cell phone from his pocket. "Natsuki? Pick up Youko and come to the estate, now. And be quick about it."

Shizuru's eyelids opened upon hearing Natsuki's name. She moaned in pain and tried to tug her wrists away from Reito's hold, wishing he would just let her die.

He noticed her eyes opening and shook her to force them open some more. "What the hell did you think you were doing?" He snarled again, gripping her wrists tighter, letting go when tears began to slip down her cheeks. He looked away, still unable to bear the sight of a crying woman. His sight caught the forgotten plastic object, lying discarded near the toilet.

Shizuru, still groaning, did not notice him pick it up.

"Is this what made you want to kill yourself? Hmm, Shizuru?"

Her eyes snapped to his, noting the particularly dangerous glint they bore. She held her breath as he drew his hand back with gritted teeth. She lay sprawled on the floor after the back of his hand connected with her face, not daring to cry.

* * *

_**My time has come, this means war**_

* * *

Having attended the funeral of both parents at a young age, Mai assumed that all dead people looked like they were asleep. The stark fluorescent-lit room of drawers and bodies was cold, but as Mai forced herself to look on pale skin and blue lips, she felt herself begin to sweat. Nao Yuuki didn't look like she was sleeping. She looked dead.

A sharp intake of breath was all Mai could do to control herself. She was hanging on to lucidity by a few taut threads. Even if she let herself have the mental breakdown she had been anticipating for months, she was at a loss as to what direction of delirium she would undoubtedly plunge into. At the moment, she couldn't decide whether to grasp the steel hidden in her jacket and end the surreal masochistic joke that had become her life, or take her frustrations out on undeserving bystanders by spraying the 9 millimeter hollow tips at them.

"Tokiha-san?" The bespectacled detective next to her was not unnerved by her sudden stolidity. "Is it _her_, Tokiha-san?" She asked, although she was well aware of the answer.

Mai swallowed down a dry lump in her throat, attempting to speak cohesively, "Uh… It… Yes." She finally tore her eyes away from what used to be Yuuki's face. The detective had explained that a cranial gunshot wound left the face deformed to some degree, necessitating identification of the corpse. She had also sighed and remarked that Mai was the only person in the victim's phonebook that they were able to reach.

"What about Natsuki Kuga? She should have come," Mai had tried to reason.

The detective shook her head, "Kuga-san could not be contacted. Someone believed to her mother was reached, but she refused to come."

Mai closed her eyes and finally turned away from the lifeless form of the only help she had. She wiped perspiration from her brow, as the detective led her out of the morgue. Nao didn't deserve to go out like this, without a second thought from anyone who claimed to care about her.

She patted the bulk of the semi-automatic securely as soon as she took the detective's leave. She had new motives for wanting Reito dead. Stepping out of the hospital and into the morning sun, she decided that taking matters into her own hands was something she should've done a long time ago.

Detective Kikukawa watched Mai's determined form stride away from the hospital. Her disapproving frown turned into a sympathetic smile as she reached into her jacket for her cell phone.

She waited for just one ring before the call was answered. "Chief," she said, "Tokiha, just left." A long sigh came through the line, followed by an exasperated comment.

The detective nodded, "Yes, I suppose it is time."

* * *

_**I'm coming in from out of this rain**_

* * *

The red switchblade felt as if it weighed tons more than it should have in Aoi's hand. The tattoo artist hefted the object from one hand to the other, releasing the long shiny blade from its socket. She tapped the sharp point a few times before pulling the blade across a fingertip.

Chie jumped up from her seat at the Estate's kitchen table as she heard Aoi hiss in pain. "Don't play with that," she said roughly, taking the weapon away and reaching for her bleeding finger.

Aoi ripped away from her grasp and turned away, crossing her arms. "Don't kill people I care about," she replied sharply, her usually gentle voice laced with emotion.

Chie's grip tightened around the closed switchblade. "You act as if I wanted to do it. You know I can't disobey Kumicho, or else it would've been me instead!" She watched as Aoi's shoulders tensed. Tentatively, she placed a hand on her girlfriend's waist, not surprised when it was slapped away.

She sighed as Aoi began to cry again, and resignedly paced to the other side of the room. The woman shed many tears on her account, and Chie had learned to let her. At least this time, there was nothing she could do to comfort her.

Tears burned the back of her eyes too as she listened to Aoi continue to sob quietly, until finally she had to leave the room. The switchblade was still in her hand as she left the kitchen and paced in the mansion's foyer. Her pacing paused as she heard a vehicle screech into the courtyard, doors slamming and footsteps scurrying to the heavy double doors.

Natsuki and Youko stormed into the house, the doctor with her supply bag slung over her shoulder, the saiko with her pistols cocked in her fists. Natsuki threw Chie a quick glance, "Kumicho? Shizuru? Are they alright?"

"Upstairs, what's going on?" Chie breathed, tightening her hold on the switchblade.

"I'd like to know myself," Natsuki replied, hurrying after Youko as the doctor flew up the stairs to the master bedroom. A hand on her arm stopped her. She looked at Chie curiously, "What?"

The sohonbucho swallowed slowly before answering. "I… Uh… I hope you can forgive me."

Natsuki looked at her strangely, turning to look at her fully, "For what?"

Chie's grey eyes shifted elsewhere, stepping back from the saiko. Natsuki squinted, regarding her closely. Her eyes went to the switchblade she still gripped. She snatched it out of the Chie's hand, recognizing it immediately.

"Where did you get this? Nao's going to want it back," she said, pocketing it.

Chie closed her eyes. "Fuck," she cursed, realizing that Natsuki did not yet know the fate of her kobun.

Natsuki stepped closer to the bespectacled woman, whose grey eyes shifted to and fro anxiously. "What's going on with you?" The saiko asked in a low voice, concern verging on suspicion.

Chie swallowed hard, removing her glasses with trembling fingers and wiping the lenses on her black silk tie. She stared at them, frowning, while Natsuki waited impatiently for an answer.

"Chie…? Come on, what's wrong with you?"

The sohonbucho inhaled deeply, "I… Kumicho, he… I…"

"Kumicho's probably waiting for you, Kuga."

Both Chie and Natsuki turned to see Aoi emerge from the kitchen, heading intently towards her girlfriend. "Go!" She commanded the surprised saiko, while pulling Chie away by the arm.

Staring for a moment at the usually docile tattoo-artist, then shrugging, Natsuki made her way swiftly up the stairs. Chie turned curious grey eyes to Aoi, who was now clutching her by the jacket lapel. "Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed? For God's sake Chie, what am I going to do if something happens to you?"

As Aoi pressed her face into her neck and began to sob, gripping her as tightly as she could, Chie stood stone-still and listened to her cry.

Natsuki watched them from the top of the stairs, already suspicious, and now confused. A sharp cry from the master bedroom met her ears, and upon recognizing the pained voice to be Shizuru's, she immediately discarded thoughts of Chie and Aoi and sprinted to the bedroom.

She skidded to a halt as she came into the scene, eyes zeroing in on Shizuru writhing in pain on sheets stained with droplets of blood while Youko tried her hardest to be gentle in her effort to treat the wounds of the frantic woman. Reito was pacing near the large bay windows, arms crossed over his chest. He paused upon seeing Natsuki, stuck at the door, face paled and eyes wide with horror.

"Look at this Natsuki," he said, swinging an arm out to point at Shizuru as Youko tried to wrestle bandages onto her wrists. "Look at this bitch."

Natsuki's eyes finally tore away from Shizuru, fixing him with a glare that he failed to notice. "What the fuck happened?" She stomped over to him, "What did you do to her?"

"Me?" The Kumicho nearly laughed, "No, no, she did this to herself."

Natsuki's cobalt gaze hardened, her voice lowering dangerously, "Why in hell would she do that to herself?"

"Why, indeed." Reito disregarded the rancor in his saiko's tone, instead turning to Shizuru, whose face was sheen with sweat and tears. A sneer crept onto his face and suddenly he snatched her up by a handful of hair, "Why Shizuru? Tell Natsuki why you don't want to live anymore, tell her what sort of pathetic slut you are—"

Shizuru fell into Youko's arms as Natsuki quickly hauled him off by the back of the shirt, fiercely shoving him away a few feet and into the adjacent armoire. His back hit the sharp corner of the piece of furniture and on instinct he swung a hard right at Natsuki.

Anticipating this, she ducked out of the way, waving him off while she crossed to the other side of the room. "I don't want to fight you Kumicho. But you're not going to touch her like that."

Reito crossed his arms, pinning her with a curious look. His eyes bore into her and she could tell that he no longer trusted her. She swallowed; today would be her last as a Kanzaki.

"Natsuki's right, Kumicho," Youko said as she stood from the bed, Shizuru having finally received her treatment without protest after witnessing Natsuki's bold attempt to defend her. "Your wife can't be dealing with all this in her condition; not if you want a healthy child."

Natsuki's head snapped to look at the doctor unbelievingly, until she saw Shizuru hide her face behind her hands. "Oh God," she murmured weakly, a terrible pain shooting through her chest. Her hands went to her throat as it closed up, turning away as tears burned the back of her eyes.

"Yes Natsuki, it's true. This treacherous bitch would rather die than have my child," Reito snarled, starting for Shizuru once again. He blinked, surprised when the saiko was suddenly in front of him, now with a .44 in hand.

"I said, you're not going to touch her."

The leader of the Kanzakis took a step back, out of sheer bewilderment. He looked from Natsuki's icy stare then to the agonized face of his wife. His lips curled into a repulsed sneer as he heard Shizuru quietly sob Natsuki's name into her hands.

Natsuki unthinkingly cocked her revolver as Reito's dark eyes widened with fury.

"What the hell?" Suddenly Youko was at the windows, drawing the heavy curtains back to look out into the courtyard. Gunshots and screeching tires were heard, forcing both Reito and Natsuki to flock to the window.

They looked down upon the estate, swarming with SWAT vehicles and police cruisers, all the Kanzaki foot soldiers firing into the horde of heavily armed officers.

Reito's fist pounded through a glass pane, screaming, "How the fuck are we being raided?"

Torturously, he watched as an armor-plated paddy wagon plowed through his iron gate. A blonde woman stepped out, sporting a flak jacket, a pump-action shotgun, and a wild grin. With gritted teeth Reito saw her companion follow, her unruly red hair tucked into a riot helmet, 'Special Ops' declared proudly on her bulletproof body armor.

Midori Sugiura swung her M16 around in the air then pointed it squarely at the windows of the master bedroom. "Time to face the music, cocksucker! I've been waiting too long for this!"

Reito ducked as her stray bullet hit the glass just above his head. "How in God's name is this happening?" He cried, fumbling in a nightstand for any weapon that might have been stashed there.

"I don't fucking know!" Natsuki spat back at him. She went to Shizuru's side and handed her other revolver to her. "Can you walk? We have to get out of here."

"I can walk," Shizuru replied, her pain all but forgotten as she realized she might have a fighting chance at escaping with Natsuki, letting Reito fend the cops off by himself.

A shot whizzed past them, sending them huddled to the floor. Reito pointed a semiautomatic at them, "You're staying right here."

"The hell I am," Shizuru stated with all conviction, rising to fire a shot at him. Natsuki was struck immovable for a moment as the bullet grazed his shoulder, Shizuru having to pull her away as they stole out of the room.

Youko wavered between following them and treating the Kumicho, who clutched at his shallow wound, grimacing.

"Damn it," reluctantly she locked the bedroom's double doors and went to his aid, even as the sounds of gunshots and heavy footsteps neared the mansion. She tore his left sleeve off and treated the abrasion, working quickly as the din of force and calamity reached the bedroom doors.

"Now what?" She asked the Kumicho, reaching for the item she reluctantly kept strapped to her ankle. Employed in his service for years, she trusted that he had an escape route.

He gritted his teeth as the mahogany double doors were rammed in.

Captain Sugiura lead the charge into the master bedroom, a handful of officers with her as the rest of her squadron, formerly the Sugiura-gumi, stormed the mansion. Her officers aimed their assault rifles, heeding the Chief's command of "terminate on sight", and prepared to shoot whoever was unlucky enough to be in that room.

"Hold your fire!" The Captain screamed, dropping her own M16 to her side and lifting the visor of her riot helmet unbelievingly. "Youko?!"

The doctor stood shakily in the center of the room with a small snub-nosed pistol in her hands, pointing it unsteadily at the five officers and Midori who heavily out-armed her.

The officers, more than a little bewildered, kept their rifles aimed when their captain went to the doctor and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I told you to stay away from here!"

Youko jerked away from her, "I didn't know you planned on leading a raid!" She squared her pistol at Midori, "How long were you playing this game?"

"Stand down!" An officer barked.

When she turned to repeat her orders to her zealous team, an unseen shot fired into her ankle, eliciting a shriek of surprise and excruciating pain.

The officers fired in reaction, sending their Captain to the floor ducking for cover. She spotted Reito from this position, under the bed with his semiautomatic, sniping at the legs of her team.

"_Son of a bitch!_" Midori screamed as Reito pushed out from underneath the bed. She reached for her weapon, but stopped cold as she heard the sound of labored breathing and soft crying next to her.

Youko was crumpled and bleeding beside her. Her heart sinking in her chest, Midori touched her gently, before rising on her uninjured leg to find Kanzaki, while her maimed officers dropped to the floor and clutched their kneecaps where he had hit all of them and slipped from the room.

Detective Kikukawa wanted to be anywhere but where she was. Shots were firing unrelentingly around her, officers and criminals were dropping in equal number, only a few insignificant arrests had been made, and she hadn't seen Haruka in a while now. She wanted to find Kanzaki as quickly as possible, so she could sooner find her partner.

"You," she pointed to a SWAT commander who covered her while they crept through the mansion, then to a room just off the kitchen. "Check there, we'll go this way."

He nodded as she led three officers into the kitchen, and then led his own team of three into the room. They burst right through the paper sliding door into the traditional tea room, but were unlucky to find no one. Sidling through, they came to the room's back door. Ripping through that door as well, the officers stumbled into the immaculate traditional garden of the Kanzaki estate, complete with a teahouse settled behind a wide, shallow koi pond.

"Who the hell is that?" One of them shouted, as they all caught sight of a lady with bandaged wrists sitting in the teahouse. She smiled quite pleasantly and waved.

They hastily readied their assault rifles to aim and fire, but were seconds too late as a blur of midnight blue rose from the pond. Dripping from head to toe and draped in aquatic plants, Natsuki fired from both of her .44 Magnums, only twice before all four officers lay dead on the rocky path.

Shizuru made her way over the bridge from the teahouse as Natsuki climbed from the pond. They met at the pile of bodies, the saiko taking an AK-47 for herself and shoving one towards Shizuru.

"I'm sure you know how to use this."

The lady smirked, hefting the weapon in her hands, "I would be lying if I said I did not."

Natsuki grunted, trying to wring as much water out of her hair as possible, said smoothly, "It wouldn't be the first time you lied to me."

Unwilling to listen to a reply, if she had one, Natsuki grabbed her rifle and Shizuru's hand and began to lead her through the garden to the east side of the mansion.

Shizuru wrenched her hand away, "Where are we going?"

"The garage. Our only chance of getting out of here is on my bike. No goddamn police car will catch us on that."

"But the ground floor will be covered in police—"

"Just shut up and listen to me!"

Shizuru stopped in her tracks, shoving the butt of her rifle into Natsuki's back.

"Ow! What the fuck Shizuru?" The saiko screeched, grabbing her spine in pain.

The lady crossed her arms and pinned Natsuki with a stern expression, "I will not go anywhere with Natsuki, if she continues to be angry with me without explaining herself."

Shizuru stepped back as the saiko pinned her with her deep emerald eyes, crackling with danger.

"You're pregnant," she rumbled in a threateningly low voice.

The lady clutched the AK-47 in her hands, trying not to wilt under Natsuki's stare. "Yes. I am."

"You were still fucking him."

Shizuru was silent, searching Natsuki's eyes for an adequate reply. She found none to address the hurt painted clearly on her face. "Well Natsuki, what did you expect? He's my husband."

A mirthless laugh crossed Natsuki's lips, "I don't know what I expected. Not this. I shouldn't even care. I shouldn't have even stopped him from beating the shit out of you."

"Natsuki doesn't mean that," the lady whispered with a quivering voice.

"He's your husband!" Natsuki exploded, "You're carrying his goddamn child! And you want me to fucking save you now? All that shit you were talking about, all that nonsense about taking over—what the fuck were you trying to do?"

Shizuru let the weapon clatter to ground, clutching at Natsuki's still damp shirt. "I was trying to escape! Before this, before it became too late. I can't survive with him, Natsuki, don't you see? I don't want to! I want to be with you!"

Natsuki shook her head, eyes shifting away from her and to the ground. "If we get out of this alive… You'll never see him again."

Shizuru hugged Natsuki to her, burying her face in the shorter woman's neck. "I'm counting on that much."

Natsuki pulled away briskly. She picked up the fallen AK-47 and handed to Shizuru. The din of gunfire rang out inside of the mansion and she grabbed Shizuru's free hand beginning to lead her through the brush to the other side of the estate. She turned around once to glance at the lady behind her, "After this… you're stuck with me."

* * *

_Hopefully part 2, the finale, will appear quickly. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review! Also, if you live in tbe US, remember to register to vote!_


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